Goldfields
Lasthenia californica
Color: Yellow to gold
Common name: Goldfields
Latin name: Lasthenia californica
Family: ASTERACEAE
Height: 15.5 inches
Description: Atop the hairy stems are inflorescences of daisy-like flower heads which contain many yellow disc florets with a fringe of small ray florets.
Leaf: The leaves are hairy, somewhat linear in shape, and 1-7 cm long.
Range: w Mojave Desert, California Floristic Province
Habitat: Abundant. Many habitats.
Elevation: < 1500 m.
Flowering time: Feb–Jun
Notes: Large populations of this species bloom at once in the spring to produce the carpets of yellow on hillsides and in meadows that give the plant its common name. Lasthenia californica, a dicot, is an annual herb that is native to California and is also found outside of California, but is confined to western North America. Distribution outside California: sw Oregon, Arizona, Mexico. This photo was taken on March 30, 2007 in the Western Mojave Desert.
We have an online wildflower field guide that is designed to help you identify desert wildflowers by color, scientific name, region and common name. The pictures are sized to work on the iPod, iPhone, iPad and similar devices. With your iPod or phone you will easily be able to identify wildflowers while in the desert. Links for downloads are on the bottom of the Wildflower Field Guide page.
Photo tips: Most digital point-and-shoot cameras have a macro function - usually symbolized by the icon of a little flower. When you turn on that function, you allow your camera to get closer to the subject, looking into a flower for example. Or getting up close and personal with a bug. More on desert photography.
Mojave Desert Wildflowers - This book is the standard by which all other wildflower books are measured. The author, Jon Mark Stewart, has combined super photography with concise information. This book has an entire color page for each wildflower covered, with a discussion of the wildflower. 210 pages with 200 color photos. More...
What's Blooming Now - Check the Wildflower Reports
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