Helianthella castanea
Encyclopedia
The perennial herb Helianthella castanea is a rare plant endemic
to California
, and is only found in the San Francisco Bay Area
, mostly in and around Mount Diablo State Park
. Its common names include Mount Diablo helianthella, Mount Diablo sunflower, and Diablo rockrose. A member of the daisy and sunflower family
, the flowers are bright yellow and daisy-like, with ridged petals. The plant grows in clumps of green foliage and sends up flowers on long stems.
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and is only found in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, mostly in and around Mount Diablo State Park
Mount Diablo State Park
Mount Diablo is a mountain in Contra Costa County, California in the San Francisco Bay Area, located south of Clayton and northeast of Danville. It is an isolated upthrust peak of , visible from most of the San Francisco Bay Area and much of northern California...
. Its common names include Mount Diablo helianthella, Mount Diablo sunflower, and Diablo rockrose. A member of the daisy and sunflower family
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
, the flowers are bright yellow and daisy-like, with ridged petals. The plant grows in clumps of green foliage and sends up flowers on long stems.