About Malacothrix coulteri Harv. & A.Gray ex A.Gray
Malacothrix coulteri Harv. & A.Gray ex A.Gray is an annual herb that grows a waxy, upright flowering stem reaching 10 to 50 centimetres (4 to 19+1⁄2 inches) in height. Its leaves measure 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) long, are mostly clustered near the base of the stem, and may be either toothed or smooth-edged. The plant's inflorescence is an arrangement of flower heads around 3 to 5 cm (1+1⁄4 to 2 in) wide. Each flower head has a nearly spherical involucre made of scale-like phyllaries that are 1 to 2 cm (1⁄2 to 3⁄4 in) wide. The bracts are green, and often marked with dark striping or other dark markings. Its yellow or white ray florets are approximately 1 cm long. This species is native to the southwestern United States, and is an introduced species in southern South America. In its native range, it grows in desert, grassland, chaparral, and other open, sandy habitats.
