Common name(s): Dunedelion

Family: Asteraceae- Sunflower Family

Species: Malacothrix incana

Commonly found: Behind foredunes

Size: Roughly 2 ft tall

Origin: Endemic to California, where it grows only in sand dunes on the beaches of the Channel Islands and isolated spots along the mainland coastline in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties.

Description: The Dunedelion is a rare perennial herb, being found exclusively in the Central Coast of California. The leaves can be hairless or very hairy, and the plant forms a leafy mound. The flowers are formed like typical dandelion heads with strap-shaped yellow petals. The commonly accepted name "dunedelion" was very likely coined by Dune Mother Kathleen Goddard Jones.