Xanthisma junceum
Rush-like bristleweed
(c) Diego Maldonado de la Torre, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Xanthisma junceum (Rush-like bristleweed) is a native California subshrub in the Asteraceae family.
Rush-like bristleweed is a California native perennial ranked 4.3 by CNPS, found in the Peninsular Ranges in dry chaparral and coastal scrub habitats at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from May to October, this plant produces bright yellow ray flowers 5 to 6 millimeters long in distinctive heads 10 to 12 millimeters wide. Growing with spreading to erect stems 40 to 100 centimeters tall that are occasionally woody at the base and nearly leafless above ground, it has a sparse, slightly glandular appearance. Its leaves are narrow, generally 1 to 2 centimeters long and less than 4 millimeters wide, with proximal leaves often linearly lobed or serrate. The fruit is 2.5 to 3 millimeters long and covered in fine hairs, with a tan pappus nearly equal in length to the disk corolla.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 0 sympatric species - geographically isolated in PR
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry hillsides; chaparral, coastal scrub
Elevation: < 1000 m
Outside California: southern Arizona, northern Mexico
Bloom period
Xanthisma junceum blooms May-Oct.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
How to tell it apart
vs Heterotheca: Xanthisma leaves have spine-tipped teeth; Heterotheca leaves lack spines and are soft.; vs Stenotus: Xanthisma has spiny-edged leaves; Stenotus has smooth three-veined leaves.; vs Nestotus: Xanthisma leaves are spine-tipped and rigid; Nestotus leaves are smooth and thread-like.; vs Hazardia: Xanthisma upper leaves become scale-like; Hazardia maintains normal leaves throughout.; vs Ericameria: Xanthisma has spine-tipped leaf teeth; Ericameria has smooth narrow thread-like leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Xanthisma junceum native to California?
Yes. Xanthisma junceum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Xanthisma junceum bloom?
Xanthisma junceum blooms May-Oct.
What plant family does Xanthisma junceum belong to?
Xanthisma junceum is in the Asteraceae family, genus Xanthisma.
Is Xanthisma junceum rare or endangered?
Xanthisma junceum carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S4.
What habitat does Xanthisma junceum grow in?
Xanthisma junceum grows in dry hillsides; chaparral, coastal scrub.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.