Thelesperma megapotamicum

Rayless greenthread, Rayless Greenthread

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Rayless greenthread is a naturalized perennial found in southern California, including Santa Catalina Island and the Peninsular Ranges, on disturbed ground at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from May to October, this plant produces yellow to orange disk flowers without ray flowers in heads 5 to 8 millimeters wide. Growing with few-branched glaucous stems 30 to 80 centimeters tall that are smooth and bluish-green, it has a distinctive branching habit. Its leaves are 3 to 12 centimeters long, with lower leaves finely divided into linear segments in a 1 to 2-pinnate pattern. The fruit is dark, 4 to 8 millimeters long, with short stout pappus awns 1 to 2 millimeters in length.

Habitat: Disturbed ground

Bloom period: (Apr)May-Oct

Elevation: < 500 m

Bioregions: SCo, s ChI (Santa Catalina Island), nw PR

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