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.
It is drought tolerant but not frost tolerant, and needs full sun.
- 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. It blooms from February to June, and attracts butterflies, bees, and other insects.
External links
- Jepson Manual Treatment - Encelia californica
- USDA Plants Profile
- Encelia californica - Cal Photo gallery
Data related to Encelia californica at Wikispecies
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Encelia californica. |