California dandelion
Taraxacum californicum Munz & I.M.Johnst.
California dandelion is a native mountain perennial supported by a thick, branching taproot. Its flowering shoots often remain at or below the leaves, then lengthen as fruits develop. The compact habit belongs to a plant whose natural range is confined to one southern Californian mountain system. Flora of North America: Taraxacum californicumU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Taraxacum californicum Five-Year Review (2013)
Botanical name
Flora of North America recognizes Taraxacum californicum Munz & I.M.Johnst., described in 1925. Flora of North America: Taraxacum californicum
Recognizing the plant
A rosette usually contains ten to twenty light-green leaves. The blades widen toward a rounded tip and narrow toward their stalks, with toothed edges and sometimes a few basal lobes. Leafless stems carry pale yellow flower heads. The short outer bracts remain upright or pressed against the head, contrasting with the strongly backward-bent bracts of common introduced dandelions. Small pale-brown fruits have a slender beak topped by creamy hairs. Flora of North America: Taraxacum californicumU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Taraxacum californicum Five-Year Review (2013)
Bloom window
San Bernardino Mountains, California
Flowering is recorded from May through August. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Taraxacum californicum Five-Year Review (2013)
Native range
The species is endemic to California’s San Bernardino Mountains. It grows in open, seasonally wet mountain meadows and other grassy wetlands within forest openings, sometimes near perennial streams. The federal review documents occupied habitats at approximately 1,600–2,800 m. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Taraxacum californicum Five-Year Review (2013)
Botanical sources
- Flora of North America: Taraxacum californicum
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Taraxacum californicum Five-Year Review (2013)
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.