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Lasthenia californica

California goldfields, goldfields, slender goldfields

Photo is of parent taxon

perennial goldfields

Habit Annuals or perennials, to 40 cm (cespitose). Perennials (sometimes flowering first year; cespitose).
Roots

usually not fleshy or clustered.

Stems

erect or decumbent, branched proximally or distally, ± hairy.

decumbent, branched proximally, ± hairy.

Leaves

linear to oblanceolate or oblong, 8–210 × 1–5.5(–15) mm, (± fleshy in coastal forms) margins entire or with 3–5+ teeth, faces glabrous or ± hairy.

mostly basal;

blades linear to oblong, 28–88 × 1.5–5.5(–15) mm, fleshy, margins entire or with 3–5+ teeth (ciliate), faces glabrous or ± hairy.

Involucres

campanulate to depressed-hemispheric or hemispheric, 5–14 mm.

campanulate to depressed-hemispheric, 9–14 mm.

Receptacles

conic, muricate, glabrous.

Ray florets

6–16;

laminae linear to oblong, 5–18 mm.

8–16;

laminae elliptic to oblong, 6–18 mm.

Phyllaries

(persistent or falling with cypselae) 4–16 (in 1–2 series), elliptic to ovate or lanceolate to oblong, hairy.

± persistent, 9–16 in 2 series, elliptic to ovate.

Cypselae

black to gray or silver-gray, linear to narrowly clavate, to 4 mm, glabrous or hairy;

pappi 0, or of 1–7 translucent (rarely opaque), brown (rarely white), linear to subulate, aristate scales.

silver-gray, linear to narrowly clavate, to 4 mm, glabrous;

pappi 0, or of 1–4 translucent, brown, subulate, aristate scales (sometimes variable within heads).

Anther

appendages deltate to sublanceolate.

appendages deltate to sublanceolate.

2n

= 48.

Lasthenia californica

Lasthenia californica subsp. macrantha

Phenology Flowering year round (mostly May–Aug).
Habitat Grasslands, dunes, woodlands, immediate coast
Elevation 0–500 m (0–1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 3 (3 in the flora).

Plants of Lasthenia californica, especially those in coastal populations, have the largest, showiest heads in the genus. Report of L. californica from Massachusetts was not confirmed for this study

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

Of conservation concern.

Subspecies macrantha is morphologically similar to Lasthenia ornduffii; their ranges are allopatric. Plants of subsp. macrantha found in San Luis Obispo County may have fleshy roots approaching those of subsp. bakeri.

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

Key
1. Annuals; coastal or inland; n California, s Oregon
subsp. californica
1. Perennials (sometimes flowering first year); coastal; California
→ 2
2. Roots fleshy, clustered; stems erect, branched distally; leaf blades 1–2+ mm wide
subsp. bakeri
2. Roots usually not fleshy or clustered; stems decumbent, branched proximally; leaf blades 1.5–5.5(–15) mm wide
subsp. macrantha
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 338. FNA vol. 21, p. 340.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Baeriinae > Lasthenia > sect. Amphiachaenia Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Baeriinae > Lasthenia > sect. Amphiachaenia > Lasthenia californica
Sibling taxa
L. burkei, L. chrysantha, L. conjugens, L. coronaria, L. debilis, L. ferrisiae, L. fremontii, L. glaberrima, L. glabrata, L. gracilis, L. leptalea, L. maritima, L. microglossa, L. minor, L. ornduffii, L. platycarpha
L. californica subsp. bakeri, L. californica subsp. californica
Subordinate taxa
L. californica subsp. bakeri, L. californica subsp. californica, L. californica subsp. macrantha
Synonyms Baeria chrysostoma, L. chrysostoma, L. hirsutula Burrielia chrysostoma var. macrantha, Baeria macrantha, Baeria macrantha var. pauciaristata, Baeria macrantha var. thalassophila, L. macrantha
Name authority de Candolle ex Lindley: Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 21: sub plate 1780. (1835) (A. Gray) R. Chan: Madroño 48: 208. (2002)
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