Kingdom Plantae Family Asteraceae Genus Lasthenia Higher classification Lasthenia | Order Asterales Tribe Heliantheae Scientific name Lasthenia chrysantha Rank Species | |
Similar Lasthenia ferrisiae, Lasthenia, Lasthenia fremontii, Lasthenia glabrata, Lasthenia conjugens | ||
Lasthenia chrysantha is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name alkalisink goldfields. It is endemic to the California Central Valley, where it grows in vernal pools and alkali flats.
Description
Lasthenia chrysantha is an annual herb approaching a maximum height near 28 centimeters. The stem may be branched or not and it bears mostly hairless, linear leaves up to 7 or 8 centimeters long.
Atop the hairy to hairless stems are inflorescences of flower heads with hairless phyllaries. The head contains many yellow disc florets with a fringe of small yellow ray florets. The fruit is a black oval-shaped achene a few millimeters long with a fringe of tiny dull hairs around the edge. Like other goldfields, populations of this species bloom in the spring to produce a carpet of yellow in its habitat.