Category: Wild flowers

Pebble Pincusion (Chaenactis carphoclinia)

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Scientific Name: Chaenactis carphoclinia A. Gray (primarily var. carphoclinia in Death Valley and most of its range)

Pebble Pincusion (Chaenactis carphoclinia) Found near Ashford Mill, Death Valley National Park. Photo Heather Rathbun
Pebble Pincusion (Chaenactis carphoclinia) Found near Ashford Mill, Death Valley National Park. Photo Heather Rathbun

Scientific Taxonomy

  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Clade: Tracheophytes (vascular plants)
  • Clade: Angiosperms (flowering plants)
  • Clade: Eudicots
  • Clade: Asterids
  • Order: Asterales
  • Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower or Daisy family)
  • Genus:Chaenactis (pincushions or dustymaidens)
  • Species:Chaenactis carphoclinia A. Gray

Common names include Pebble Pincushion, Pincushion Flower, and Straw-bed Pincushion. Two varieties exist: the widespread var. carphoclinia (smaller plant, common in Death Valley) and the rarer var. peirsonii (larger, limited to southern California’s Santa Rosa Mountains).

Description

Pebble Pincushion is a native annual forb/herb that grows from an erect, branching stem (usually one main stem) reaching 4–16 inches (10–40 cm) tall, occasionally up to 2 feet (60 cm) in favorable conditions. The stems are whitish-pubescent (hairy).

Leaves are green, mostly linear, and pinnately dissected or lobed (basal leaves highly divided and wither early; cauline leaves smaller with slender petioles), up to 4–10 cm long.

The inflorescence consists of 1–several small discoid flower heads (no ray flowers) per stem, each 0.25–1 cm wide. Heads feature white to pinkish-tinted disk florets with enlarged outer corollas and prominently exserted (protruding) anthers. Flat, sharp-pointed phyllaries (bracts) line the heads and often appear reddish. The fruit is a small achene tipped with a scaly pappus.

The plant resembles other desert Chaenactis species (e.g., Esteve’s Pincushion), but is generally smaller with multiple cream-to-white heads per stem.

Blooms

As a desert annual, Pebble Pincushion germinates after winter rains and blooms primarily in spring (January/February/March through May or June, depending on elevation and rainfall). In Death Valley, it is a signature species during “superbloom” years, often peaking in March–April alongside other desert annuals. The flowers are visited by bees, butterflies, and other small insects for nectar and pollen.

Range and Habitat

Pebble Pincushion is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Its range spans Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Baja California, and Sonora—primarily in the Mojave Desert, with extensions into the Sonoran Desert, southern Great Basin, and northwestern Chihuahuan Desert. Elevations range from 300–6,200 feet (90–1,900 m).

It thrives in rocky, gravelly, or sandy soils, including washes, open plains, mesas, slopes, and flats within desert shrublands. In Death Valley National Park, it is commonly found in gravelly washes and rocky areas (e.g., near Emigrant Pass, Badwater, and Mosaic Canyon), where it can form dense displays after sufficient winter precipitation. Seeds may be consumed by birds, small mammals, and desert tortoises.

Pebble Pincushion growing in typical Death Valley habitat—gravelly washes with mixed desert annuals under clear desert skies.

This hardy annual plays a key role in desert ecosystems as a quick-response bloomer that stabilizes soil and supports pollinators and wildlife following rainy periods.

California Goldfields ( Lasthenia californica )

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Lasthenia californica, commonly known as California goldfields, is an annual flowering plant belonging to the family Asteraceae. It is native to California and is particularly prominent in the coastal ranges and valleys. This species is well-known for its vibrant yellow blooms that contribute significantly to the wildflower displays in California during the spring.

California Goldfields ( Lasthenia californica )
California Goldfields ( Lasthenia californica )

Taxonomy

  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Clade: Angiosperms
  • Clade: Eudicots
  • Clade: Asterids
  • Order: Asterales
  • Family: Asteraceae
  • Genus: Lasthenia
  • Species: L. californica

Morphology

Lasthenia californica is characterized by its bright yellow, daisy-like flowers. The plant typically reaches heights of 10-50 cm. Key morphological features include:

  • Stems: Erect, slender, and often branched.
  • Leaves: Basal leaves are linear to narrowly oblanceolate, often covered with fine hairs.
  • Flowers: Inflorescences are capitula, composed of numerous yellow ray and disk florets.
  • Fruit: Achene, with each achene being topped with a pappus aiding in wind dispersal.

Habitat and Distribution

Lasthenia californica is commonly found in a variety of habitats including grasslands, coastal prairies, and open woodlands. It thrives in areas with well-drained soils and full sunlight. The plant’s distribution is largely concentrated in California, though it can also be found in parts of Oregon, Nevada, and Baja California.

Ecology

California goldfields play a significant role in their ecosystems. They provide nectar and pollen for various pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and other insects. The plant’s early blooming period helps sustain pollinator populations before other wildflowers and crops bloom.

Reproduction

Lasthenia californica reproduces sexually through seed production. The flowering period extends from February to May, during which pollination occurs primarily via insects. After pollination, seeds develop and are dispersed by wind and gravity. The seeds have a dormancy period that allows them to germinate under favorable conditions in the following year.

Conservation Status

Lasthenia californica is not currently listed as endangered or threatened. However, its habitats are often threatened by urban development, agriculture, and invasive species. Conservation efforts focus on preserving native habitats and controlling invasive species to ensure the continued survival of this and other native wildflower species.

Cultural and Economic Importance

California goldfields are valued for their aesthetic contributions to natural landscapes and wildflower displays. They are also studied for their ecological interactions and adaptability to various environmental conditions. Additionally, they are used in restoration projects aimed at re-establishing native plant communities.

Lasthenia californica is a vibrant and ecologically significant wildflower native to California. Its bright yellow blooms are a hallmark of the spring season in many regions, contributing to the biodiversity and aesthetic value of the areas they inhabit. Understanding the biology, ecology, and conservation needs of this species is essential for preserving its role in native ecosystems.

References

Western Wallflower (Erysimum capitatium)

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A member of the mustard family, the Western Wallflower ( Erysimum capitatium ) is a brightly colored yellow flower which is quite common across the western United States, including Arizona, Utah and Nevada.. In European countries, the wallflower earned its name from a habit of growing on… you guess it, walls. More specifically stone, masonry or wooden fences. The name was transposed to the American species despite the fact the plants have no preference for walls.

Western Wallflower (Erysimum capitatium)
Western Wallflower (Erysimum capitatium)

Scientific Taxonomy and Categorization

  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Clades: Tracheophytes, Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
  • Order: Brassicales
  • Family: Brassicaceae (mustard or cabbage family)
  • Genus: Erysimum
  • Species: Erysimum capitatum (Douglas ex Hook.) Greene (binomial name)

The species belongs to the tribe Erysimeae within Brassicaceae. It is a dicot angiosperm (eudicot) herb. Flora of North America recognizes two main varieties: E. c. var. capitatum (often called western or sanddune wallflower) and E. c. var. purshii (Pursh’s wallflower). Numerous synonyms exist due to high morphological variability and past taxonomic confusion with E. asperum (prairie rocket). Chromosome number is 2n = 36. The plant is categorized as a biennial or short-lived perennial herb (sometimes behaving as a winter annual in southern deserts), with a taproot and variable growth form depending on elevation and habitat.

Detailed Plant Description

Erysimum capitatum is a highly variable, taprooted herb that produces one to several erect, leafy stems (0.5–12 dm / 1.5–12 ft tall) arising from a basal rosette. Stems are often branched distally, coarse, and covered in stiff, appressed, forked or branched (malpighiaceous/dolabriform) hairs. The plant leaks a pungent, watery juice when damaged.

Basal leaves are simple, alternate, spatulate to narrowly oblanceolate or linear (2–27 cm long × 3–30 mm wide), with prominent midribs and margins ranging from entire to dentate or denticulate. Stem leaves are smaller, sessile, and angled upward. Leaves are typically deep green and hairy (rayed hairs vary by variety: mostly 3–7-rayed in var. capitatum; 2–3-rayed in var. purshii). Plants develop short to elongate caudices clothed in old leaf bases.

Growth habit and life cycle show plasticity: low-elevation plants are often taller, less branched biennials and more drought-resistant; high-elevation (alpine) plants are dwarf, multi-stemmed perennials. The species is early-seral, thriving in disturbed sites, and exhibits semelparity (single reproductive event) in dry lowlands versus iteroparity (multiple events) in moist high-elevation habitats.

Detailed Flower Description

Flowers are perfect, arranged in congested terminal racemes that elongate in fruit. Each flower is 2.5–3.8 cm wide with four distinct, rounded petals arranged in a cross shape (typical of Brassicaceae). Petals are usually bright yellow to orange (occasionally lavender, maroon, red, white, or purple in certain populations or high elevations); var. capitatum tends toward orange-yellow, var. purshii toward yellow. Flowers have four sepals, six stamens (tetradynamous: four long, two short), a stout style (up to 3 mm), and a superior ovary. They are fragrant and bloom primarily April–August (as early as January in southern ranges or to September).

Fruits are linear, narrow siliques (3.5–15 cm long × 1.3–3.3 mm wide), upright or nearly parallel to the stem, four-sided or slightly flattened, with prominent midveins. Each valve contains 40–80 seeds; siliques dehisce at maturity. Seeds are small, oblong (~1.5 mm), lightweight, and winged in var. capitatum. Pollination is required for full seed set; visitors include bees, flies, butterflies, and beetles.

Habitat

The western wallflower occupies diverse dry, open sites from valley bottoms to alpine summits. It prefers well-drained, sandy, gravelly, or rocky soils with low organic matter and fertility. Substrates include sandstone, granite, basalt, limestone, serpentine, dunes, and talus. It occurs in desert grasslands/shrublands, chaparral, pinyon-juniper woodlands, aspen groves, montane meadows, forest openings, sagebrush flats, and alpine tundra. Elevation range is sea level to 13,120 ft (4,000 m), with var. capitatum generally lower (0–5,600 ft) and var. purshii higher (3,280–13,120 ft). It tolerates full sun, drought, and disturbance (roadsides, burns, grazed areas).

Range and Distribution

Erysimum capitatum is one of the most widespread native North American wallflowers. Its range spans western North America from Alaska and Yukon Territory south through British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and into northern Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora, etc.). It extends eastward across the Great Plains to the Great Lakes region (Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, etc.) with scattered disjunct populations as far as Ohio and Tennessee. Var. capitatum has the broadest distribution; some California varieties (e.g., var. angustatum) are narrowly endemic and endangered. It has been introduced in parts of New England. Overall, it is considered secure (NatureServe).

This adaptable species plays ecological roles as a nectar source for pollinators (including butterflies), larval host plant, and early colonizer of disturbed or post-fire sites. It also provides forage for wildlife such as elk, deer, bighorn sheep, and small mammals.

Other Names

  • Coast wallflower
  • Douglas’ wallflower
  • Sanddune wallflower
  • Prairie rocket

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Common Fiddleneck ( Amsinckia intermedia )

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The Common Fiddleneck ( Amsinckia intermedia ) is a wildflower common across the United States and a member of the forget-me-not-family. Also known as the Intermediate Fiddleneck, the name is derived from the flower stems which are formed in the appearance of a violin or fiddle.

Common Fiddleneck ( Amsinckia intermedia var. intermedia )
Common Fiddleneck ( Amsinckia intermedia var. intermedia )
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Notch-leaved phacelia ( phacelia crenulata )

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Notch-leaved phacelia ( phacelia crenulata ) is a lovely little purple wild flower which grows across the desert southwest from California to Texas. The plant is typically between three to twenty-four inches in height. The flower is also known by several different names including, notch-leaf scorpion-weed, notch-leaved phacelia, cleftleaf wildheliotrope, and heliotrope phacelia.

Notch-leaved phacelia
Notch-leaved phacelia

The Purple Notchleaf Phacelia, scientifically known as Phacelia crenulata (also called Notch-leaf Phacelia, Notch-leaf Scorpion-weed, or Cleftleaf Wild Heliotrope), is one of the most iconic annual wildflowers of the Mojave Desert. In Death Valley National Park—the hottest and driest place in North America—this species transforms barren landscapes into vibrant purple carpets during years with sufficient winter rainfall. It is especially prominent in “superbloom” events, where it blooms alongside bright-yellow Desert Gold (Geraea canescens) to create striking color contrasts on alluvial fans and valley floors.

As of March 2026, Death Valley is experiencing one of the best superbloom displays in a decade, with P. crenulata contributing heavily to the purple displays visible from areas like Badwater Road and Furnace Creek.

Taxonomy

  • Scientific Name: Phacelia crenulata Torr. ex S. Watson
  • Family: Hydrophyllaceae (Waterleaf family; sometimes placed in Boraginaceae)
  • Order: Boraginales
  • Higher Classification: Angiosperms (flowering plants), Eudicots, Asterids

The species includes several varieties that intergrade:

  • var. ambigua (rangewide, larger purple flowers)
  • var. crenulata (California to Utah)
  • var. minutiflora (smaller flowers, sometimes lavender-blue with white throats).

Morphological Description

Phacelia crenulata is an aromatic annual herb, typically 7–60 cm tall (up to 80 cm or ~30 inches in favorable conditions), with erect stems that are sparsely to densely covered in stiff, glandular hairs.

Leaves: Oblong, 2–12 cm long, with wavy, lobed, or distinctly notched/scalloped (crenulate) margins—giving the plant its common name “Notchleaf.” The basal leaves are largest; upper leaves become smaller and more reduced.

Flowers: Arranged in coiled cymes (scorpioid inflorescences) that uncoil as they bloom, resembling a scorpion’s tail. Individual flowers are bell-shaped, ½–1 cm long, with deep violet-to-purple petals (sometimes blue) and a white or pale throat. Stamens and style protrude prominently from the corolla.

Fruit: A small, rounded capsule containing several seeds.

The entire plant is glandular-hairy and emits a distinctive (sometimes unpleasant) scent.

Habitat and Distribution

Phacelia crenulata is native to arid regions of the southwestern United States (Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, Utah) and northern Mexico. It has a rare antitropical (disjunct) distribution, also occurring in parts of South America (southern Peru, western Bolivia, northern Chile).

In Death Valley National Park, it prefers open, sandy, gravelly, or rocky soils on alluvial fans, foothills, and low-elevation desert washes. It commonly appears from mid-February to mid-April at lower elevations (below ~1,000 m), often in disturbed areas or alongside other desert annuals.

Ecology, Life Cycle, and Adaptations

As a desert annual, P. crenulata is an “ephemeral” species whose life cycle is tightly linked to winter precipitation. Seeds lie dormant in the soil for years and germinate rapidly after adequate rain, allowing the plant to grow, flower, set seed, and die before the extreme summer heat and drought return.

Key adaptations:

  • Glandular hairs that may reduce water loss and deter herbivores.
  • Coiled inflorescences that protect developing flowers.
  • Rapid phenology synchronized with brief windows of moisture.

It is highly valuable to native bees as a pollen and nectar source.

Note on human interaction: Like many phacelias, the plant can cause contact dermatitis (skin rash similar to poison oak) in sensitive individuals due to its glandular secretions. Avoid handling if you have sensitive skin.

Conservation Status

Phacelia crenulata is considered “Secure” by NatureServe and faces no major conservation threats. In Death Valley, it benefits from the park’s protection but remains sensitive to off-road vehicle traffic, climate-driven changes in rainfall patterns, and invasive species competition. It is a flagship species for public appreciation of desert biodiversity during superbloom events.

Summary

The Purple Notchleaf Phacelia exemplifies the resilience and beauty of Mojave Desert flora. Its vivid purple blooms, triggered by rare wet winters, turn Death Valley’s harsh landscape into a temporary floral paradise—reminding observers of the delicate balance of water, temperature, and life in one of Earth’s most extreme environments.

Key Viewing Tips for Death Valley (March–April 2026): Look along low-elevation roads and washes near Furnace Creek, Badwater, and the East Entrance for the best displays of purple P. crenulata mixed with yellow desert gold.

This report is based on botanical records from the National Park Service, botanical databases, and field observations during active bloom periods.

Resources