About Stephanomeria cichoriacea A.Gray
Stephanomeria cichoriacea is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family. It has two common names: chicoryleaf wirelettuce and silver rock-lettuce. This plant is endemic to California, where it grows in coastal mountain ranges that extend as far north as Monterey County. It occurs most commonly in the mountains of southern California, including the Transverse Ranges. One of its typical habitat types is chaparral. It is a perennial herb that grows slender, upright stems that can reach maximum heights of over one meter. The stem is covered in woolly hairs, and this trait is particularly prominent on new growth. Most of the plant's leaves are arranged in a basal rosette; the largest of these leaves reach 18 to 20 centimeters in length. The leaves are lance-shaped and often have toothed edges. Newer leaves are woolly, and smaller leaves grow higher up along the stem. The inflorescence is a long sequence of several flower heads, and some heads also grow in the upper leaf axils of the stem. Each flower head has a cylindrical base that is 1 to 2 centimeters long, lined with layers of glandular phyllaries. Each head holds 10 to 15 ray florets. Each floret has an elongated tube and a pink ligule that can grow up to 2 centimeters long. The fruit this plant produces is an achene, tipped with a spreading cluster of long, plumelike pappus bristles.
