Asteraceae: Sunflower Family – Heliantheae (Sunflower) Tribe: miscellaneous
The Sunflower family is a very large family with over 25,000 members. Botanists subdivide the family into a number of tribes, of which 14 are present in Monterey County. One of these, the Heliantheae or Sunflower tribe, is further broken down into subtribes, of which 9 are present. This page covers three of the smaller sub-tribes.
Beach Bur-sage / Beach Bur – Ambrosia chamissonis
Blooms:
Mar–Oct
Plant Height:
15–30 cm
Flower Size:
Small cluster
Origin:
Native
Habitat:
Coastal dunes
Notes:
This common plant has bluish-green leaves that are covered in fine gray hairs, quite variable in shape, and often deeply-lobed or finely divided. It is monoecious: the small, yellow male flowers are in pendulous clusters on the upper part of the stem, while the female flowers are on the lower part of the stem, maturing into the sharp-spined burs which give the plant its common name. For an easy ID, look for the two flower types on the spike. Photos #1-2 by CJH.
Western / Common Ragweed – Ambrosia psilostachya
Blooms:
June–Nov
Plant Height:
0.3–2 m
Flower Size:
Medium cluster
Origin:
Native
Habitat:
Low, moist disturbed areas
Notes:
Unlike some other Ambrosias, this has fruits with no or few spines. Leaves are coarsely toothed or pinnately lobed and covered in short stiff hairs. The plant is monoecious; the small, yellow male flowers borne in compact, erect clusters on the upper part of the stem; the female flowers appearing below.
Sneezeweed – Helenium puberulum
Blooms:
June–Aug
Plant Height:
50–160 cm
Flower Size:
Medium
Origin:
Native
Habitat:
By streams & seeps
Notes:
Fairly common, and immediately recognizable by its spherical head of disk flowers with a subtending fringe of ray flowers. The ray flowers are folded back along the stem. Disk flowers are yellow at the base, with tips ranging in color from yellow to purple. Stems are long and strongly winged. Leaves are oblong-elliptic to lanceolate, entire. Photos #3-4 by CJH.
Fleshy Jaumea – Jaumea carnosa
Blooms:
May–Oct
Plant Height:
Trailing
Flower Size:
Small
Origin:
Native
Habitat:
Dunes & coastal marshes
Notes:
Found mainly by the coast, this has fleshy, linear to oblong or oblanceolate leaves. Its small flower heads have narrow, well-separated ray flowers. This plant is “halophytic”, i.e. it tolerates salty water. Photos #2-3 by CJH.
Common Cocklebur – Xanthium orientale
Blooms:
July–Oct
Plant Height:
10–80 cm
Flower Size:
Small clusters
Origin:
Native
Habitat:
Seasonally wet places
Notes:
Variable in appearance, more easily recognized by its fruits than its flowers. The plant is monoecious; the male flowers appearing above the females, which mature into large (10–30+ mm) burs with many hooked spines. The leaves are broad, roundish to deltate. Formerly named Xanthium strumarium. Photo #2 by CJH.
