Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Malacothrix coulteri is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name snake's head, or snake's head desertdandelion. It is native to the southwestern United States is also found in southern South America where it is an introduced species. Its native habitat includes desert, grassland, chaparral, and other open, sandy areas. It is an annual herb producing a waxy, upright flowering stem up to about 50 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves, which are mostly located near the base of the stem, are toothed or not. The flower cluster is an array of flower heads with nearly spherical involucres of scale-like phyllaries one to two centimeters wide. The leafs are green, often with dark striping or marking. The yellow or white ray florets are about a centimeter long.

Plant type

Annual herb

Size

2 ft Tall

Calscape icon
Color

Yellow

Sun

Full Sun

Soil drainage

Fast

Sunset Zones

7*, 8*, 9*, 10*, 11*, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17, 18, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Site type

Sandy, open places, in, grassy places, deserts

Plant communities

Coastal Sage Scrub, Creosote Bush Scrub, Valley Grassland

Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 4 likely

Confirmed Likely

Alfalfa Looper Moth

Autographa californica

Cucullia comstocki

Heliolonche joaquinensis

Heliolonche pictipennis