Encelia californica

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Encelia californica
Encelia californica head 2003-04-10.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Encelia
Species:
E. californica
Binomial name
Encelia californica
Synonyms [1]

Encelia conspersaA.Gray

Encelia californica is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name California brittlebush. It is also commonly referred to as California coast sunflower and California bush sunflower. [2]

Contents

Distribution

This shrub is native to southern California (U.S.) and northern Baja California (México). It is a member of the coastal sage plant community at the shoreline, and the chaparral and woodlands plant community on inland foothills in the Transverse and Peninsular Ranges. [2] [3] [4]

Description

Encelia californica is a bushy shrub that reaches between 50–150  cm (20-60 inches) in height. It has many thin branches covered in widely spaced green leaves which are a rounded diamond shape.

The solitary flower heads are daisy like, 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. [5]

Uses

It is a host plant for the larvae of the Bay checkerspot butterfly, a threatened species.

Encelia californica is cultivated by specialty nurseries as an ornamental plant, for use in native plant and wildlife gardens, and natural landscaping projects. It is drought tolerant but not frost tolerant, and needs full sun.

Related Research Articles

<i>Encelia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Encelia is a genus of the plant family Asteraceae. It consists of shrubs of arid environments in southwestern North America and western South America.

<i>Encelia farinosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Encelia farinosa, is a common desert shrub of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States.

<i>Juniperus californica</i> Species of conifer

Juniperus californica, the California juniper, is a species of juniper native to southwestern North America.

<i>Aesculus californica</i> Species of plant

Aesculus californica, commonly known as the California buckeye or California horse-chestnut, is a species of buckeye native to California and southwestern Oregon.

<i>Frangula californica</i> Species of tree

Frangula californica is a species of flowering plant in the buckthorn family native to western North America. It produces edible fruits and seeds. It is commonly known as California coffeeberry and California buckthorn.

<i>Artemisia californica</i> Species of plant

Artemisia californica, also known as California sagebrush, is a species of western North American shrub in the sunflower family.

<i>Baccharis pilularis</i> Species of shrub

Baccharis pilularis, called coyote brush, chaparral broom, and bush baccharis, is a shrub in the family Asteraceae native to California, Oregon, Washington, and Baja California. There are reports of isolated populations in New Mexico, most likely introduced.

<i>Coreopsis bigelovii</i> Species of flowering plant

Coreopsis bigelovii is a species of flowering plant in the daisy or sunflower family, Asteraceae, with the common names Bigelow coreopsis and Bigelow's tickseed. It is endemic to California.

<i>Encelia virginensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Encelia virginensis is a North American species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae known by the common name Virgin River brittlebush. This shrub is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, particularly the Mojave Desert and the Sonoran Desert. It has been found in Baja California, southern California, Nevada, Arizona, southwestern Utah, and southwestern New Mexico.

<i>Encelia resinifera</i> Species of flowering plant

Encelia resinifera, the sticky brittlebush, is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.

<i>Helianthella californica</i> Species of flowering plant

Helianthella californica is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name California helianthella. This wildflower is native to the mountains of California, northwestern Nevada, and southwestern Oregon.

<i>Heterotheca sessiliflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Heterotheca sessiliflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name sessileflower false goldenaster. It is native to California, Sonora, and Baja California.

<i>Brickellia californica</i> Species of flowering plant

Brickellia californica, known by the common name California brickellbush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.

<i>Artemisia arbuscula</i> Species of flowering plant

Artemisia arbuscula is a North American species of sagebrush known by the common names little sagebrush, low sagebrush, or black sagebrush. It is native to the western United States from Washington, Oregon, and California east as far as Colorado and Wyoming. It grows in open, exposed habitat on dry, sterile soils high in rock and clay content.

<i>Artemisia spinescens</i> Species of flowering plant

Artemisia spinescens is a North American species of sagebrush in the sunflower family, known by the common name budsage.

<i>Balsamorhiza deltoidea</i> Species of flowering plant

Balsamorhiza deltoidea is a species of flowering plant in the sunflower tribe of the plant family Asteraceae known by the common name deltoid balsamroot. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California, where it grows in many types of generally mountainous habitat.

<i>Encelia actoni</i> Species of flowering plant

Encelia actoni, also known by the common names Acton brittlebush and Acton encelia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.

<i>Corethrogyne filaginifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Corethrogyne filaginifolia is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common names common sandaster and California aster.

<i>Solidago californica</i> Species of flowering plant

Solidago californica is a species of goldenrod known by the common name California goldenrod.

Encelia scaposa, common name onehead brittlebush is a North American species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It has been found in western Texas, southwestern New Mexico, and Chihuahua.

References

  1. The Plant List, Encelia californica Nutt.
  2. 1 2 Calflora taxon report, University of California, Encelia californica Nutt., California brittlebush, California encelia, bush sunflower
  3. Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
  4. Tropicos, specimen listing for Encelia californica Nutt.
  5. Flora of North America Encelia californica Nuttall