Bahiopsis parishii – “Goldeneye”

Also Known As: Parish Goldeneye, Shrubby Goldeneye, Parish’s Viguiera
Other Botanical Names: Viguiera parishii, Viguiera deltoidea parishii
Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae)
Bloom Period: Feb-Jul (and again in the autumn if monsoon rains are sufficient)
Form: Perennial shrub
Habitat: Washes and on rocky slopes
Leaves: Triangular, dark green; opposite
Translation: “Bahiopsis” means “like Bahia,” a genus of plants that this one resembles; “Bahia” is named for Juan Francisco de Bahí y Fonseca (1775-1841), a physician and professor of botany in Barcelona; “parishii” is named after W. F. and S. B. Parish, who were “the pioneer botanical collectors of southern California” from the late 1800’s to the 1920’s; “Viguiera” is named for Louis Guillaume Alexandre Viguier (1790-1867), a French physician, bookseller and botanist; “deltoidea” is Greek for “like delta,” meaning the Greek letter delta, Δ, and refers to the triangular shape of the leaf.
Notes: Blooms in the spring and again in the autumn.
Animal Associations: Host to California Patch butterfly and Bordered Patch butterfly.