The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

coastal goldenbush, Menzies' goldenbush, Pacific jimmyweed, white flower goldenbush

Photo is of parent taxon

green leaf dune goldenbush, Menzies' goldenbush

Herbage

glabrous or villlous, sometimes stipitate-glandular, not resinous.

Stems

erect to ascending or decumbent;

herbage hirtellous or villoso-pilose or densely gray-tomentose (hairs flattened, vitreous, long) to glabrate, sometimes stipitate-glandular.

Leaf

blades obovate to spatulate or oblanceolate to nearly linear, 5–40 mm, margins entire or toothed to lobed.

blades linear to oblanceolate or spatulate-oblong, 10–40 × 2–6(–9) mm, not thick-fleshy, margins of at least the proximal pinnately lobed or shallowly toothed.

Involucres

(6–)7–9 × 6–8 mm.

Florets

(15–)18–25(–28);

corollas 5–7 mm.

Corollas

5–7 mm.

Heads

in corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

2.3–3.6 mm.

Phyllary

apices green to yellowish, not aristate, sometimes with weakly developed, non- or weakly spinulose projection, gland-dotted, without resin pockets or pockets small, weakly developed (var. decumbens and var. menziesii).

Cypsela

ribs not forming apical horns.

2n

= 24.

Isocoma menziesii

Isocoma menziesii var. vernonioides

Phenology Flowering (Apr–)Jul–Dec.
Habitat Coastal bluffs and dunes, sandy flats, salt marsh borders, occasionally on dry slopes
Elevation 5–400 m [20–1300 ft]
Distribution
from FNA
CA; nw Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; Mexico (Baja California)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 5 (5 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Of conservation concern.

In San Diego and Riverside counties, plants of var. vernonioides produce small leaves that are often nearly glabrous, perhaps reflecting the influence of genes from var. menziesii.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Leaf blades mostly obovate, thick-fleshy, margins coarsely serrate; stems decumbent, prostrate, or pendent; herbage glabrous
var. sedoides
1. Leaf blades obovate to oblanceolate, usually not thick-fleshy, margins entire or toothed (if so then at least stems densely villous); stems erect to ascending or decumbent; herbage glabrous, villous, tomentose, or stipitate-glandular
→ 2
2. Herbage essentially glabrous, stipitate-glandular
→ 3
2. Herbage glabrous, villous, or tomentose, not prominently glandular or glands beneath other vestiture
→ 4
3. Stems prostrate to decumbent or ± erect; leaves 5–22 × 2–4 mm; heads in corymbiform to loose, paniculiform arrays; cypselae 2.3–3.6 mm; San Diego County southward
var. decumbens
3. Stems strictly erect; leaves 20–40 × 4–10 mm; heads in corymbiform arrays; cypselae (3.8–)4.5–5 mm; San Benito and Santa Clara counties
var. diabolica
4. Plants densely tomentose or villous
→ 5
4. Plants glabrous or glabrate
→ 6
5. Herbage finely and closely grayish-arachnoid-tomentose; leaf blades narrowly oblanceolate, 5–22 × 2–4 mm, margins entire or with 1–2 pairs of teeth distally
var. decumbens
5. Herbage hirtellous, villoso-pilose, or densely gray-tomentose (hairs flattened, vitreous, long); leaf blades linear to oblanceolate or spatulate-oblong, 10–40 × 2–6(–9) mm, at least proximal leaves with toothed margins
var. vernonioides
6. Leaf margins entire or with 1–2 pairs of teeth or shallow lobes distally
var. menziesii
6. At least proximal leaves toothed along most margins
var. vernonioides
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 442. FNA vol. 20, p. 443.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Isocoma Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Isocoma > Isocoma menziesii
Sibling taxa
I. acradenia, I. arguta, I. azteca, I. coronopifolia, I. drummondii, I. humilis, I. pluriflora, I. rusbyi, I. tenuisecta
I. menziesii var. decumbens, I. menziesii var. diabolica, I. menziesii var. menziesii, I. menziesii var. sedoides
Subordinate taxa
I. menziesii var. decumbens, I. menziesii var. diabolica, I. menziesii var. menziesii, I. menziesii var. sedoides, I. menziesii var. vernonioides
Synonyms Pyrrocoma menziesii I. vernonioides, Haplopappus venetus subsp. vernonioides, I. veneta var. vernonioides
Name authority (Hooker & Arnott) G. L. Nesom: Phytologia 70: 93. (1991) (Nuttall) G. L. Nesom: Phytologia 70: 101. (1991)
Web links