Stephanomeria virgata ssp. virgata Benth.  Asteraceae (Sunflower Family) Native Twiggy Wreath-Plant

                                      September Photo

Plant Characteristics:     Stiff erect annual 5-20 (-30) dm. tall, glabrous or puberulent, virgate or usually with virgate branches from ca. the middle; lower lvs., oblong or spatulate, pinnatifid, 1-2 dm. long, often sinuate, dying before anthesis; upper lvs. small, linear, quite entire; heads subsessile along the elongate naked branches, paniculate, 8-9 fld.; invol. 6-8 mm. high; phyllaries obtusely narrowed at tip, the outer reflexed; ligule purplish on back, pinkish to white above, ca. 7-9 mm. long; aks. not ribbed, linear-clavate, to oblong, +/- rugose, ca. 3-4 mm. long; pappus-bristles clear white, 4-5 mm. long, plumose almost throughout.

Habitat:  Common late summer annual in deserted fields and disturbed places below 6000 ft.; from Coastal Strand and Coastal Sage Scrub to Yellow Pine F.; widely distributed, cismontane; to Ore., Nev., L. Calif., Channel Ids.  July-Aug.

Name:  Greek, stephane, wreath and meros, division; of uncertain application.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 230).  Virgata means "wand-like" and that is applied to the tall bare stems.

General:  Occasional in the study area.   The plant has a milky sap.  Photographed at 23rd Street and along Back Bay Dr. between the Newporter Inn and San Joaquin Hills Dr.  (my comments).      Delfina Cuero, a Kumeyaay or Southern Diegueno Indian, made the following comments about Stephanomeria virgata in her autobiography:  "Gather the whole plant, it can be dried and saved.  Boil the roots and drink liquid to get rid of intestinal worms.  From Mexicans, we learned to boil whole plant to clean stomach after a hangover."  (Shipek 97).       Munz, Flora So. Calif. does not list ssp. of this species; the 1993 Jepson Manual lists ssp. virgata and ssp. pleurocarpa.  I have determined that the common local ssp. is virgata.  (my comment).       A dozen or more species of western North America.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 230).

Text Ref:  Dale 74; Hickman, Ed. 348; Munz, Calif. Flora 1295; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 231; Roberts 13.

Photo Ref:  June 4 83 # 2; July 3 83 # 22; Sept 2 83 # 10A; Oct-Nov 83 # 6;

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

First Found:  June 1983.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 197.  

Have plant specimen.

Last edit  5/15/05.

                                     July Photo                                                                     October Photo