Stylocline gnaphaloides

Everlasting neststraw

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Everlasting neststraw is a California native annual found in southern North Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada Foothills, San Joaquin Valley, Central Western California, southwestern California, and western Mojave Desert in open, sandy soil habitats at elevations up to 1,200 meters. Flowering from March to May, this delicate plant produces small, spherical white to cream-colored flower heads that are often shiny and slightly cobwebby in appearance. Growing with slender stems 3 to 15 centimeters tall, it forms compact, low-growing clusters in disturbed or sandy areas. Its leaves are distinctive, ranging from 4 to 14 millimeters long, with a spoon-shaped to obovate form and blunt tips that are generally obtuse. The tiny flower heads, measuring just 3 to 6 millimeters in diameter, are characterized by winged paleae with cordate wings widest in the lower third of the structure.

Habitat: Common. Open, generally sandy soil, often old disturbances

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: < 1200(1700) m

Bioregions: s NCoRI, SNF, SnJV, CW, SW, sw DMoj (exc DMtns), w edge DSon

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.