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Madia elegans is a species of flower in the daisy family. It is generally known as the common madia, but there are several subspecies known by various common names. It is a showy flower which varies in appearance across subspecies and even within subspecies. In general it is a bright yellow daisylike bloom with numerous thin ray flowers and several central disk flowers. It may be solid lemon yellow or have a center of a different color, from white to maroon. The strongly-scented flower head grows at the end of a slender green stem. It closes at night. Its fruits are achenes which were historically used as food by Native Americans, including the Pomo and Miwok, who baked them or ground them into flour. The plant is native to western North America, but it is robust and can grow as a weed in disturbed areas there.
[edit] Subspecies
- M. e. densifolia - showy tarweed
- M. e. elegans - common madia
- M. e. vernalis - spring madia
- M. e. wheeleri - Wheeler's tarweed
[edit] External links
[edit] Image gallery
