About Gutierrezia californica (DC.) Torr. & A.Gray
Gutierrezia californica (DC.) Torr. & A.Gray is a North American flowering plant species in the Asteraceae family, commonly called San Joaquin snakeweed and California matchweed. It is native to California and Arizona in the United States, and Baja California in Mexico. It grows in sunny sandy or rocky areas within grasslands, scrub, or open woodlands. This species is a small subshrub that reaches up to approximately half a meter, or 20 inches, tall. It produces clumpy, gangly, generally erect stems in shades of gray and red, lined with small linear green leaves. At the end of each stem branch sits an inflorescence holding one to three small flower heads that are just a few millimeters wide. Each flower head contains several yellow disc florets with long, protruding styles, and several yellow ray florets along its edge.
