Anisocoma acaulis – “Scale Bud”

Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae)
Bloom Period: Mar-Jun
Form: Annual herb
Habitat: Sandy soils
Leaves: Linear to lanceolate, pinnately-lobed; basal rosette
Translation: “Anisocoma” is Greek for “unequal tufts of hair,” which refers to the unequal lengths of the bristles in the flower’s pappus; “acaulis” is Latin for “stemless” and must refer to the lack of stems on the leaves, which form a rosette.
Notes: The common name refers to the scaled appearance of the bud, which is very attractive in its own right, with its red-tipped bracts. Like the common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), Scale Bud opens only in sunshine and closes in the shade or on a cloudy day.