Leaves cuneate (like a triangular leaf, except the wide part is toward the tip and the acute part is the base) but may be oblong (longer than wide, with parallel margins) or oblanceolate (parallel margins but much longer than wide). Leaves ~3-7 cm long, 0.5-2 cm wide, tip may be either obtuse (blunt) or acute (with a pointed tip), margins with a few teeth or lobes (≤8) toward the tip. Leaves are cauline (on the stems and branches), either sessile (directly connected to the main stem without a small petiole stem) or have a winged petiole. Silvery olive green, not pubescent (hairy/downy), generally sticky and stiff. Inflorescences feature flower heads in a leafy panicle (compound flower cluster), hemispheric to bell-shaped, whitish, sexually dioecious, with male plants having rounder, shorter flowerheads and females having longer, thinner flowerheads that eventually develop a pappus (fringe of bristles atop the fruit) that looks like white paintbrushes. The pappus is noticeably longer than for the similar if smaller B. pilularis, making the plant look whiter at this stage. Blooms from August to December. Plant forms a shrub 2-4 m tall with erect growth habits and loose branching. It favors moist locations, such as sandy banks of streams, and is tolerant of some salt, so it can be found along the perimeter of salt marshes. The species is found throughout the coastal mountain ranges of California into Oregon and Baja and in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada.
Baccharis emoryi (Asteraceae aka Compositae): Emory's baccharis
The development of this key was partially funded through the Geoscience Diversity Enhancement Program (Award #0703798) and through a course of re-assigned time provided by the CSULB Scholarly and Creative Activities Committee. Thanks also to the students in sections of biogeography, introductory physical geography, GDEP, and LSAMP for "test-driving" various editions of this key.