Malacothrix coulteri
Malacothrix floccifera
Snake's head desert-dandelion, Snake's-head
woolly desert dandelion, woolly malacothrix, wooly desertdandelion
1–6, ascending or erect, simple or branched proximally and distally, glaucous or glabrous.
1–8, simple or branched proximally and/or distally, glabrous or proximally puberulent.
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 oblanceolate to obovate, usually pinnately lobed (lobes 4–6+ pairs, ± equal, apices obtuse), ± fleshy, ultimate margins dentate, abaxial faces usually white-arachnose (usually in patches on lobes);
distal reduced (pinnately lobed or dentate proximally, lobes obtuse).
hemispheric, 10–22+ × 6–22+ mm.
campanulate, 5–7(–9) × 2.5–4(–5) mm.
densely bristly.
bristly.
85–257;
corollas usually pale yellow, sometimes white, 8–12 mm;
outer ligules exserted 2–5 mm.
21–60;
corollas white or yellow (usually with abaxial lavender stripes), 7–15 mm;
outer ligules exserted 5–9 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.
13–21+ in 2–3 series, oblong or lanceolate to linear, hyaline margins 0.05–0.2 mm wide, faces glabrous.
0.
of 3–8+, ovate to lanceolate bractlets, hyaline margins 0.1–0.3 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 to prismatic, 1.2–2 mm, ribs extending to apices, 5 more prominent than others;
persistent pappi 0.
70–100% 3-porate.
70–100% 3-porate.
= 14.
= 14.
Malacothrix coulteri
Malacothrix floccifera
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 floccifera grows in the Transverse Ranges in Ventura County, in the Coast Ranges to Siskiyou County, on foothills and slopes of Sierra Nevada from Lassen County to Fresno County, and in western Nevada, near Lake Tahoe.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
