Lasthenia glaberrima
Encyclopedia
Lasthenia glaberrima is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family
known by the common names smooth goldfields and rayless goldfields. It is native to western North America from British Columbia
to California
, where it grows in wet places such as vernal pools and springtime meadows. This is an annual herb producing a mostly erect, hairless stem to maximum heights near 35 centimeters. The stem may branch or not, and it bears hairless linear leaves up to about 10 centimeters long. Atop the stem is an inflorescence
of flower heads
with fused, pointed phyllaries
. The head contains many yellowish or greenish disc florets. There are also yellow ray florets, but they are so short they may be nearly invisible inside the involucre of phyllaries. The fruit is a hairy achene
a few millimeters long which is linear in shape with a pappus
of scales.
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 names smooth goldfields and rayless goldfields. It is native to western North America from British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
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...
, where it grows in wet places such as vernal pools and springtime meadows. This is an annual herb producing a mostly erect, hairless stem to maximum heights near 35 centimeters. The stem may branch or not, and it bears hairless linear leaves up to about 10 centimeters long. Atop the stem is an 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...
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 fused, pointed 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 yellowish or greenish disc florets. There are also yellow ray florets, but they are so short they may be nearly invisible inside the involucre of phyllaries. The fruit is a hairy achene
Achene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
a few millimeters long which is linear in shape with a pappus
Pappus (flower structure)
The pappus is the modified calyx, the part of an individual disk, ray or ligule floret surrounding the base of the corolla, in flower heads of the plant family Asteraceae. The pappus may be composed of bristles , awns, scales, or may be absent. In some species, the pappus is too small to see...
of scales.