Lasthenia californica
Encyclopedia
Lasthenia californica is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family
known by the common name California goldfields. It is native to California
and Oregon
and surrounding areas, where it is a very common member of the flora in a number of habitat types. This is an annual herb approaching a maximum height near 40 centimeters but generally staying much smaller. The plant is quite variable in appearance across subspecies and climates. The leaves are hairy, somewhat linear in shape, and one to seven centimeters long. Individuals growing along the coast may have fleshy leaves. Atop the hairy stems are inflorescence
s of flower heads
with hairy phyllaries
. The head contains many yellow disc florets with a fringe of small ray florets. Large populations of this species bloom at once in the spring to produce the carpets of yellow on hillsides and in meadows that give the plant its common name.
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...
known by the common name California goldfields. It is native 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 Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and surrounding areas, where it is a very common member of the flora in a number of habitat types. This is an annual herb approaching a maximum height near 40 centimeters but generally staying much smaller. The plant is quite variable in appearance across subspecies and climates. The leaves are hairy, somewhat linear in shape, and one to seven centimeters long. Individuals growing along the coast may have fleshy leaves. Atop the hairy stems are inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s of flower heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
with hairy phyllaries
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
. The head contains many yellow disc florets with a fringe of small ray florets. Large populations of this species bloom at once in the spring to produce the carpets of yellow on hillsides and in meadows that give the plant its common name.