Malacothrix coulteri
Malacothrix fendleri
Snake's head desert-dandelion, Snake's-head
Fendler's desert dandelion
1–6, ascending or erect, simple or branched proximally and distally, glaucous or glabrous.
(1–)3–8, ± decumbent or spreading-ascending, branched proximally and distally, glaucous or glabrous.
proximal linear to obovate, sometimes pinnately lobed, not fleshy, ultimate margins entire or dentate, faces glabrous;
distal reduced (ovate to lanceolate, rarely pinnately lobed, bases clasping).
proximal elliptic to oblong-oblanceolate, sometimes pinnately lobed (lobes 2–4+ pairs, oblong to triangular, unequal, apices acute), not fleshy, ultimate margins usually dentate, faces glabrous;
distal reduced (narrowly triangular to linear or filiform, margins dentate or entire).
hemispheric, 10–22+ × 6–22+ mm.
± campanulate, 7–10 × 5–6+ mm.
densely bristly.
not bristly.
85–257;
corollas usually pale yellow, sometimes white, 8–12 mm;
outer ligules exserted 2–5 mm.
16–88;
corollas yellow (usually with red or purplish abaxial stripes), 6–14 mm;
outer ligules exserted 5–8 mm.
(25–)40–60+ in 4–6+ series, (midstripes usually reddish or purple) orbiculate to ovate, oblong, lance-oblong, or linear, unequal, hyaline margins 1–2.5 mm wide, faces glabrous.
13–25+ in 2–3 series, lance-oblong or lanceolate to lance-linear, subequal, hyaline margins 0.05–0.3 mm wide, faces glabrous.
0.
of 5–12, ovate to lanceolate bractlets, hyaline margins 0.05–0.2 mm wide.
± prismatic, 1.6–3.2 mm, ribs extending beyond apices, 5 more prominent than others;
persistent pappi of 20–25+, blunt teeth plus 2–6 bristles.
± cylindric, 1.8–2.4 mm (distal 0.3 mm slightly expanded, cupped, smooth), ribs not extending to apices, ± equal;
persistent pappi of 12–15, ± deltate teeth (often hidden within cups at apices of cypselae) plus 1–2 bristles.
70–100% 3-porate.
70–100% 3-porate.
= 14.
= 14.
Malacothrix coulteri
Malacothrix fendleri
Variety cognata, indistinguishable in floral characters from var. coulteri and differing in cauline leaves parted almost to midribs, occurs at some mainland sites in southern California and has been collected on the Channel Islands. In California, Malacothrix coulteri grows in the San Joaquin Valley, central western areas, western Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, and Mojave Desert. In Arizona, it grows in the Sonoran Desert in the Santa Rita and Tucson mountains, and similar places.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Malacothrix fendleri grows in the Sonoran Desert. “San Bernardino Co.” as locality for a specimen from the herbarium of J. G. Lemmon in UC (336493) is evidently an error.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
