''Malacothrix squalida'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name Santa Cruz desertdandelion. It is endemic to Santa Cruz and Anacapa Islands, two of the eight Channel Islands of California, where it grows on rocky seaside bluffs and cliffs. The plant is very limited in distribution and today exists only in degraded habitat on these two small islands. It was last collected from Santa Cruz Island in 1968, and two populations were noted on Anacapa Island in 1998; in drought years there may be no plants at all.USFWS. (1997)
Final Rule for 13 Plant Taxa from the Northern Channel Islands, California.
''Federal Register'' 62:147. It became a federally listed

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

in 1997. This is an annual herb growing a hairless, waxy stem 20 to 30 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves are sharply lobed. The inflorescence is an array of

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 ...

lined with oval-shaped phyllaries. The ray florets are 1 to 2 centimeters and light yellow in color.

References

External links

Jepson Manual TreatmentUSDA Plants ProfileFlora of North America
squalida Endemic flora of California {{Cichorieae-stub