Comparing California Goldfields and Slender Goldfields

By Bruce Homer-Smith

Goldfields identification is quite tricky. Local conditions have generated many races. Some Goldfields are cryptic – essentially physically identical but genetically distinct. There is also quite a bit of physical variety – for instance some Goldfields are annuals and others are perennials. Goldfields taxonomy is in flux as experts try to find a satisfactory organization of these plants.

We’ll compare the two most common Goldfields in California. They’re both annuals.

California Goldfields

(Lasthenia californica ssp. californica)

Slender Goldfields

(Lasthenia gracilis)

Bloom Time – March to May

Bloom Time – Feb to July

California Goldfields is quite common along the coastal ranges of Northern California.

Slender Goldfields is the most common Goldfields in California. It overlaps California Goldfields, but is more concentrated in the south.

Photo by Zoya Akulova-Barlow

One to seven pappus scales are translucent, brown, and tipped with an awn.

Photo by Zoya Akulova-Barlow

Four pappus scales are white and flared.

In the absence of pappus (some plants don’t have pappus or it’s the wrong time of year), there is no reliable field test to distinguish these plants.

Want More?

Here’s a ResearchGate publication that describes these plants in detail.

Corrections/Comments: bruce@PlantID.net