Native plant identification key for the
Palos Verdes Peninsula, California


Leaves lanceolate (several times longer than wide, but not to the point of linear). Leaves glabrous (smooth-surfaced) though may be minutely pubescent (hairy/downy), often resinous or sticky, green, ~2-10 cm long and willow- like, sometimes with stipules like wings along the leaf petiole (stalk). Leaves are entire or toothed, with 1-3 main veins that diverge palmately (from a common base) and run parallel to one another, with a short petiole attaching them to the stem. Tight flower clusters or panicles, generally white or yellow-white with some pink or red in the calyx, which is imbricated (the sepals interweave). Flowers February through December. The achenes (seeds) have a pappus (tassel or fringe) of yellowish or whitish hairs ~0.5-1 cm long. Forms a willowlike shrub ~2-4 m tall. Found on streambanks and in wetlands below 1250 m, in landscapes characterized by California sage scrub, foothill woodlands, and grasslands and other plant communities. Found in California in the Coast Ranges, Bay Area, Great Central Valley, Sierra Nevada foothills, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, and the Mojave and Colorado deserts. Outside California, it is found in the Pacific Northwest, the American West to Texas, Mexico, and South America.

Baccharis salicifolia aka B. glutinosa aka B. viminea aka Molina salicifolia (Asteraceae aka Compositae): mulefat or seepwillow or water-wally


First placed on web: 08/03/11
Last revised: 08/03/11
Christine M. Rodrigue, Ph.D., Department of Geography, California State University, Long Beach, CA 90840-1101
rodrigue@csulb.edu

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.