Lessingia nemaclada
Encyclopedia
Lessingia nemaclada is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family
known by the common name woollyhead lessingia. It is endemic to California
, where it is widespread across the northern parts of the Central Valley and adjacent foothills and mountains, including the Sierra Nevada foothills and the mountains of the San Francisco Bay Area
. It grows in a variety of habitats. This annual herb is quite variable in appearance. It may be petite and just a few centimeters tall, or over half a meter in erect height with many spreading branches. It is generally glandular, with knobby glands most easily seen on the leaves, and often hairy to woolly. The upper leaves are small and unlobed, and the lower leaves are larger and sometimes lobed or toothed but wither early. The flower heads
appear singly or in small clusters. Each head is lined with hairless, glandular phyllaries
. The head is discoid, containing no ray florets and just a few pale purple, pinkish, or nearly white funnel-shaped disc florets with narrow lobes. The fruit is an achene
with a whitish pappus
of bristles which may be fused into points.
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 woollyhead lessingia. It is endemic 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 is widespread across the northern parts of the Central Valley and adjacent foothills and mountains, including the Sierra Nevada foothills and the mountains of 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...
. It grows in a variety of habitats. This annual herb is quite variable in appearance. It may be petite and just a few centimeters tall, or over half a meter in erect height with many spreading branches. It is generally glandular, with knobby glands most easily seen on the leaves, and often hairy to woolly. The upper leaves are small and unlobed, and the lower leaves are larger and sometimes lobed or toothed but wither early. The flower heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
appear singly or in small clusters. Each head is lined with hairless, glandular 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 is discoid, containing no ray florets and just a few pale purple, pinkish, or nearly white funnel-shaped disc florets with narrow lobes. The fruit is an achene
Achene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
with a whitish 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 bristles which may be fused into points.