About Hulsea californica A.Gray
Hulsea californica is a clumpy biennial herb. It produces greenish-gray to reddish erect stems that grow between 40 centimeters (16 inches) and over one meter (40 inches) tall. Its stems and foliage are covered in hair that can become densely woolly, with thick layers of cobwebby fibers. Plants with thicker fiber coatings range in color from gray to nearly white. It bears abundant leaves that are either lance-shaped or scoop-shaped, reaching up to 10 centimeters (4 inches) long. Most leaves have smooth, untoothed edges, but some have wavy or coarsely lobed margins. The plant produces large flower heads, lined with woolly lance-shaped phyllaries that measure over one centimeter (0.4 inches) long each. The center of each flower head is filled with numerous tiny deep yellow disc florets, surrounded by 22 to 40 yellow ray florets. Each ray floret can grow up to two centimeters (0.8 inches) long.
