Kingdom Plantae Family Asteraceae Genus Malacothrix Rank Species | Order Asterales Tribe Cichorieae Scientific name Malacothrix incana | |
Similar Malacothrix coulteri, Malacothrix, Malacothrix sonchoides, Malacothrix saxatilis, Abronia maritima | ||
Malacothrix incana is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name dunedelion. It is endemic to California, where it grows only in sand dunes on the beaches of the Channel Islands and isolated spots along the mainland coastline in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. The type specimen was collected in San Diego, but the plant no longer occurs there. This is a perennial herb forming a leafy mound up to about 70 centimeters in maximum height. It may be hairless to densely hairy. The leaves are smooth-edged or have dull lobes. Leaves at the base of the stem are similar to those distal. The inflorescence is an array of flower heads lined with hairless phyllaries. The ray florets are one or two centimeters long and yellow in color.