About Hemizonia congesta DC.
Hemizonia congesta DC. is an erect, spindly annual herb with thin stems, reaching 10 to 80 centimeters (3.9 to 31.5 inches) in height. Like other tarweeds, its stem and foliage are glandular and produce an odor similar to tar. Most of its long, narrow, pointed leaves grow on the lower section of the stem, below the branching flower stalks. Its inflorescences are covered in glandular hairs and hold daisy-like flower heads. Each flower head has a center of yellowish disc florets with dark tips, surrounded by a fringe of bright yellow to white ray florets that often have purplish striping on their undersides. The tips of the ray florets are toothed or lobed, with the middle tooth being thinner than the other teeth. This species is native to California and Oregon in the United States, where it is a common component of the flora across multiple habitats, especially grasslands and fields. It is a native plant found in California's Central Valley and the California Coast Ranges.
