Encelia californica

Encelia californica
Encelia californica
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Heliantheae
Genus: Encelia
Species: E. californica
Binomial name
Encelia californica
Nutt.

Encelia californica is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name California brittlebush. It is also commonly referred to as "California bush sunflower".

This shrub is native to southern California and Baja California where it is a member of the coastal sage plant community at the shoreline. It can also be found on inland foothills in the Transverse and Peninsular Ranges.

Description

Encelia californica is a bushy, sprawling shrub reaching between one half and 1.5 meters in height. It has many thin branches covered in widely-spaced green leaves which are a rounded diamond shape. The solitary flower heads are daisylike, with 15 to 25 bright yellow ray florets 1 to 3 centimeters long around a center of protruding yellowish to purplish brown disc florets. The fruit is an achene 5 to 7 millimeters long, with no pappus.

External links

Media related to Encelia californica at Wikimedia Commons

Data related to Encelia californica at Wikispecies


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