The yellow petals have fallen off, leaving the maturing fruits. UCI Ecological Reserve, Irvine, Orange County, CA. 5/14/10. © Joan Avise

Blow wives

Achyrachaena mollis

Back to Asteraceae of Orange County, California
Back to Eudicots of Orange County, California
Back to Natural History of Orange County, California

The white structures are not flowers or florets but disk fruits, produced from the disk florets and each carrying a "pappus" with 10 shiny white scales. The scales catch the wind, allowing dispersal of the single-seeded fruits.  The ray florets produce club-shaped black structures with no white appendages, and are not visible in these pictures.


UCI Ecological Reserve, Irvine, Orange County, CA. 5/14/10. © Joan Avise

UCI Ecological Reserve, Irvine, Orange County, CA. 4/7/11. © Joan Avise

UCI Ecological Reserve, Irvine, Orange County, CA. 4/7/11. © Joan Avise

UCI Ecological Reserve, Irvine, Orange County, CA. 4/7/11. © Joan Avise

UCI Ecological Reserve, Irvine, Orange County, CA. 4/7/11. © Joan Avise

UCI Ecological Reserve, Irvine, Orange County, CA. 4/7/11. © Joan Avise

UCI Ecological Reserve, Irvine, Orange County, CA. 4/7/11. © Joan Avise

UCI Ecological Reserve, Irvine, Orange County, CA. 5/14/10. © Joan Avise