Isocoma menziesii var. vernonioides Nutt.     =Isocoma veneta var. vernonioides     =Haplopappus venetus ssp. vernonioides     Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)                                    Native   Coastal Goldenbush    Rabbit Brush   Coastal Isocoma   Common Hazardia

                                     August Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Perennial, 4-12 dm. high, the stems erect or decumbent, branched from the base, usually simple below the infl.; lvs. clustered in axils, often so dense as to obscure the stem, not fleshy, spatulate-oblong, 1-3 cm. long, 3-8 mm. wide. spinulose-dentate to almost lobed; heads in rounded, compact, terminal cymes; invol. 5-7 mm. high, the phyllaries 20-40 in 3-6 series, with green acutish tips.

Habitat:  Common on dry slopes below 1200 ft.; Coastal Strand, Coastal Sage Scrub, Coastal Salt Marsh; San Diego n. to cent. Calif., Channel Ids.  April-Dec.

Name:  Greek, haploos, simple and pappos, pappus.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 174).  Latin, vena, a vein.  (Jaeger 279).  Possibly refers to the prominent midrib of the leaves.  Vernonioides, like Vernonia, a genus of tropical shrubs in Asteraceae.  (John Johnson).  Archibald Menzies, (1754-1842). Surgeon and naturalist to Vancouver's Pacific Coast expedition.  Name commemorated in the dainty western plant called Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila menziesii) and the plant genus Menziesia.  (Jaeger 313).

General:  Very common in the study area.  Photos were taken on a shaded bank at the big bend in Back Bay Dr. above the old salt works dike, the North Star Flats and along Back Bay Dr. between the Newporter and San Joaquin Hills Dr.  (my comments).      The common name, Hazardia, goes back to a former genus name of these plants.  (Dale 65).  A portion of the genus Haplopappus was previously called Ericameria but apparently not this species.  (my comment).      H. venetus has been found to accumulate free nitrates in quantities capable of causing death or distress in cattle.  (Fuller 374).        Delfina Cuero, a Kumeyaay or Southern Diegueno Indian, made the following comment about Isocoma menziesii in her autobiography:  "Dry stalks were used for brooms".  (Shipek 91).

Text Ref:  Abrams, Vol. IV 284; Hickman, Ed. 295, 1329; Munz, Calif. Flora 1180; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 181; Roberts 12.

Photo Ref:  Dec 3 82 # 3,22; July 2 83 # 2,3.  

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by F. Roberts.  

First Found:  December 1982.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 179.  

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 5/8/05.  

                                  July Photo                                                                         July Photo