Kingdom Plantae Tribe Heliantheae Scientific name Lasthenia californica Rank Species | Order Asterales Genus Lasthenia Higher classification Lasthenia | |
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Similar Lasthenia, Daisy family, Layia platyglossa, Lupinus bicolor, Castilleja exserta | ||
Lasthenia californica is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name California goldfields. It is native to California, Oregon and surrounding areas, where it is a very common member of the flora in a number of habitat types.
Description
Lasthenia californica is an annual herb approaching a maximum height near 40 centimeters but generally staying much smaller. The plant is quite variable in appearance across subspecies and climates. The leaves are hairy, somewhat linear in shape, and one to seven centimeters long. Individuals growing along the coast may have fleshy leaves.
Atop the hairy stems are inflorescences of flower heads with hairy phyllaries. The head contains many yellow disc florets with a fringe of small ray florets. Large populations of this species bloom at once in the spring to produce the carpets of yellow on hillsides and in meadows that give the plant its common name.
