''Isocoma menziesii'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, known by the common name Menzies' goldenbush. It is native to California, Baja California, and

Baja California Sur Baja California Sur (; 'South Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California Sur), is the least populated state and the 31st admitted state of the 32 federal ent ...

, where it grows in coastal and inland habitat such as

chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant community and geographical feature found primarily in the U.S. state of California, in southern Oregon, and in the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It is shaped by a Mediterranean c ...

, particularly in sandy soils.Nesom, G.L. 1991. Taxonomy of ''Isocoma'' (Compositae: Astereae). Phytologia 70(2): 69–114
includes distribution map on page 72

Description

''Isocoma menziesii'' is a subshrub forming a matted bush reaching heights of . The erect branching stems may be hairless to woolly, are generally glandular, and vary in color from gray-green to reddish brown. The leaves are oval-shaped to somewhat rectangular, gray-green and sometimes hairy and glandular, and long with stumpy teeth along the edges. The abundant inflorescences are clusters of thick

flower heads A pseudanthium (Greek for "false flower"; ) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, compos ...

. Each head is a capsule with layers of thick, pointed, greenish phyllaries. The head is filled with large, protruding, cylindrical yellow disc florets with long stigmas.

Varieties

* ''Isocoma menziesii'' var. ''decumbens'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom - far northern Baja California, San Diego County, Channel Islands *''Isocoma menziesii'' var. ''diabolica'' G. L. Nesom - Santa Clara + San Benito Counties * ''Isocoma menziesii'' var. ''menziesii'' - Baja California,

, San Diego County,

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

, western Riverside County, Channel Islands * ''Isocoma menziesii'' var. ''sedoides'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom - from Orange to San Luis Obispo Counties including Channel Islands * ''Isocoma menziesii'' var. ''tridentata'' (Greene) G.L.Nesom - southern Baja California including

Isla Cedros Cedros Island (''Isla de Cedros'', "island of cedars" in Spanish) is an island in the Pacific Ocean belonging to the state of Baja California, Mexico. The dry and rocky island had a population of 1,350 in 2005 and has an area of which includes ...

, northern

* ''Isocoma menziesii'' var. ''vernonioides'' (Nutt.) G.L.Nesom - from

Monterey County Monterey County ( ), officially the County of Monterey, is a county located on the Pacific coast in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, its population was 439,035. The county's largest city and county seat is Salinas. Montere ...

to northern Baja California

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment of ''Isocoma menziesii''''Isocoma menziesii'' — Calphotos Photos gallery, University of California
menzies Flora of California Flora of Baja California Flora of Baja California Sur Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of the Channel Islands of California Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges Natural history of the Santa Monica Mountains Natural history of the Transverse Ranges Plants described in 1839 Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Astereae-stub