Layia glandulosa – “White Tidy Tips”

Also Known As: Whitedaisy Tidy Tips, White Layia, Yellow Rayed Layia
Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae)
Bloom Period: Mar-Jun
Form: Annual herb
Habitat: Sandy soils
Leaves: Linear; basal; alternate
Translation: “Layia” is named for George Tradescant Lay (1799-1845), an English naturalist; “gladulosa” is Latin for “provided with glands,” and refers to pin-like glands on the stems.
Notes: The common name “Tidy Tips” actually describes another species in this genus that has yellow ray petals tipped with white. A defining characteristic of the flower is the three-lobed shape of each white ray petal, as if each one were a triple petal. Taylor calls this plant “a little charmer.”
Native American Uses: The Cahuilla ground the seeds into flour and combined them with other ingredients to make a porridge. The seeds were also eaten by the Luiseño.