Lasthenia californica Lindley
=
L. chrysostoma
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)
Native
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Lasthenia californica Lindley
=
L. chrysostoma
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)Native
Coastal Goldfields |
March Photo
Plant Characteristics: Annual
less than 40 cm. tall, stems simple or freely branched, +/- hairy; lvs.
opposite, 0.8-7 cm. linear to oblanceolate, entire, hairy, +/- fleshy in coastal
forms; involucre 5-10 mm., bell shaped or hemispheric; phyllaries 4-13, free,
hairy; receptacle conic, rough, glabrous; ray fls. 6-13; ligules yellow, 5-10
mm.; disk fls. yellow, generally many; anther tips triangular; style tips
triangular; fr. less than 3 mm., linear to +/- club-shaped, glabrous or hairy;
pappus of 1-7 narrow awns, wider awned scales, or none.
Habitat: Abundant.
Many habitats less than 1500 meters.
California Floristic Province; west Mojave Desert; south west Oregon;
Arizona; Mexico.
Name: Greek, Lasthenia, female pupil of Plato.
Californica indicates the state
in which the species was first found.
General: Uncommon in the
study area with only one large and two smaller colonies known,
all in upper Big Canyon where they were evidently seeded on the floor of
the canyon, after pampas grass and dead brush were removed.
Cleanup was done as a mitigation effort related to the construction of
the Fletcher Jones Mercedes dealership at the intersection of Jamboree Rd. and
East Bristol St. These colonies did not
last as Spanish Sunflower, Pulicaria paludosa, an invasive not native,
took over the open areas within a year. All of the Lasthenia now growing in the Upper Bay have, to the best of my
knowledge, been introduced by hydromulching or seeding.
Highly variable; needs further study.
(Hickman, Ed. 299).
Text Ref: Hickman, Ed. 299;
Munz, Flora So. Calif. 197; Roberts
12.
Photo Ref: Jan-Mar 97
#32A,34A.
Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by John Johnson.
Computer Ref: Plant Data 500.
Have plant specimen.
Last edit 10/20/02.
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