About Verbesina dissita A.Gray
Verbesina dissita A.Gray is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, commonly known as bigleaf crownbeard. It is native to northern Baja California, Mexico, where it is found in approximately 23 occurrences; some of these populations may already have been extirpated or are vulnerable to habitat destruction. The species also occurs in a 3.2-kilometer stretch of coastline near Laguna Beach in southern California. This California population grows on highly developed, valuable oceanfront land, making it susceptible to extirpation. Additional threats to the species include erosion and competition from non-native introduced plants. Verbesina dissita is a federally listed threatened species in the United States. It is a subshrub that grows from 50 centimeters to over one meter in height. Its green leaves are arranged oppositely, with oval blades reaching up to 12 centimeters long and 6 centimeters wide. Leaves range from hairless to roughly hairy, and have smooth or slightly toothed margins. The inflorescence is a cyme holding up to 16 sunflower-like flower heads. Each head has deep yellow ray florets that can grow up to 2.5 centimeters long. The center of the head holds up to 100 disc florets, which have long yellow corollas and dark brown anthers. The fruit is a brown, winged achene that measures over one centimeter in length when including the pappus at its tip.
