About Malacothrix saxatilis (Nutt.) Torr. & A.Gray
Malacothrix saxatilis is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, commonly known as cliff desertdandelion or cliff aster. This plant is endemic to California, where it grows in the central and southern coastal hills and mountain ranges. It is a perennial herb that grows 30 to 60 centimeters tall from a combined rhizome and caudex unit. Its leaves vary in size and shape, and may be lobed or unlobed. The inflorescence is an arrangement of flower heads lined with lance-shaped phyllaries. Its ray florets measure 1 to 2 centimeters long and are white in color. There are five intergrading varieties of this species, and some of these varieties have very restricted distributions.
