Pseudobahia heermannii
Encyclopedia
Pseudobahia heermannii is a species of flowering plant in the aster family
known by the common name foothill sunburst.
It is endemic to California
, where it occurs in grassland
, chaparral
, woodlands, and other habitat in the Sierra Nevada foothills and a section of the Central Coast Ranges.
It is an annual herb growing 10 to 30 centimeters tall with a pale green to reddish woolly or cobwebby stem. The leaves are divided into several narrow, toothed lobes. The inflorescence
is a solitary flower head
with a small, hard, cuplike involucre
of about 8 fused phyllaries. From the involucre bloom about 8 golden ray florets around a center of hairless disc florets.
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 foothill sunburst.
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 occurs in grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
, chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
, woodlands, and other habitat in the Sierra Nevada foothills and a section of the Central Coast Ranges.
It is an annual herb growing 10 to 30 centimeters tall with a pale green to reddish woolly or cobwebby stem. The leaves are divided into several narrow, toothed lobes. The 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...
is a solitary flower head
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
with a small, hard, cuplike involucre
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...
of about 8 fused phyllaries. From the involucre bloom about 8 golden ray florets around a center of hairless disc florets.