About Chaenactis carphoclinia A.Gray
Chaenactis carphoclinia, commonly called pebble pincushion, is an annual herb. It grows an erect, branching stem that reaches a maximum height of about 60 centimeters (2 feet). Its longest leaves are around 10 centimeters (4 inches) long, and are usually divided into several lobes. The inflorescence holds a small number of flower heads, each up to one centimeter wide. Each flower head is lined with flat, sharp-pointed, reddish phyllaries. The flower head contains several white or pink-tinted flowers, which have long, protruding anthers. The fruit is an achene a few millimeters in length, tipped with a scaly pappus. There are two recognized varieties of this species. Chaenactis carphoclinia var. carphoclinia is a smaller variety that occurs across the entire range of the species. Chaenactis carphoclinia var. piersonii is a larger variety, known only from the Santa Rosa Mountains in southern California.
