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- Lasthenia minor
Lasthenia minor — coastal goldfields
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Facts
Coastal goldfields is endemic to California coastal and inland grasslands, and is rarely if ever found anywhere else, possibly escaping from a garden in Massachusetts.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Massachusetts
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has tubular disk flowers in the center and ray flowers, these often strap-shaped, around the periphery
- Ray flower color
- yellow
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Leaf blade length
- 20–120 mm
- Disk flower number
-
- 1-5
- more than 50
-
Flowers
- Bract cycle number
-
- there are two main cycles of bracts
- there is one main cycle of bracts
- Bract outer side hair type
- the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces, with curled, tangled, matted, or woolly hairs
- Bract outer side hairs
- the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces
- Bract separation
- the bracts appear completely unconnected to one another on all flower heads
- Bract shape
-
- the main bracts are oblong (roughly rectangular but rounded at the ends)
- the main bracts are ovate (egg-shaped)
- Bract spines
- the bracts have no spines
- Bract texture
- the bracts have a similar texture to a leaf
- Bract tip orientation
- the bracts are pressed against the plant, or spreading out at the tips
- Bracts
- the bracts in separate cycles are similar or gradually changing from the outer to inner cycles
- Disk flower color
-
- orange
- yellow
- Disk flower lobe number
-
- 4
- 5
- Disk flower number
-
- 1-5
- more than 50
- Disk flower reproductive parts
- the disk flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- Disk flower shape
- the disk flower is tube-shaped (cylindrical), or gradually widening like a funnel
- Flower head outer flowers
- at the outer edge of the flower head, each flower has a single enlarged lobe or strap
- Flower head platform
- the base has no bristles or papery scales
- Flower head position
-
- each of the flower heads is separate on its own peduncle (stalk), not clustered in groups
- some or all the flower heads are grouped in clusters of two or more
- Flower head profile
- the disk is conical across the top
- Flower head shape
- the flower head is hemispherical (like the bottom half of a sphere)
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has tubular disk flowers in the center and ray flowers, these often strap-shaped, around the periphery
- Height of flower head base
- 4–6 mm
- Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
- NA
- Inflorescence shape
-
- NA
- the inflorescence is flat-topped in profile
- Number of bracts at flower head base
- 7–14
- Ovary cross-section
- the ovary has five or more corners in cross-section
- Ovary hair type
-
- the ovary has hairs on it, but the hairs have no glands
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary hairs
-
- the ovary has hairs on it
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary profile
- in profile, the ovary is roughly egg-shaped, but widest above the middle
- Peduncle hairs
-
- the peduncles are hairy
- the peduncles have no hairs
- Ray flower color
- yellow
- Ray flower reproductive parts
- the ray flowers have carpels or stamens, but not both
- Ray flowers
-
- 11-15
- 6-10
- Ray length
- 4–8 mm
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers on the plant contain both carpels and stamens
- Smaller bracts at base of bracts
- there is a cycle of much smaller bracts outside the cycle of larger and longer bracts
- Style branches
- the style branch is wider at the tip and has a flattened end, or the style branches are wider at the tips and have flattened ends
- Width of flower head base
- 3–5 mm
-
Fruits or seeds
- Number of pappus parts
-
- 0
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- Ovary length in developed fruit
- 2–2.5 mm
- Seed hair tuft bases
- NA
- Seed hair tuft color
- NA
- Seed hair tuft details
- NA
- Seed hair tuft tips
-
- NA
- at least some of the pappus hairs are broader at their tips than their bases
- the pappus hairs are slender
- Seed hairs uniform
- NA
- Seed tuft scale number
-
- 0–4
- 0–9
- Seed tuft type
- the pappus is made of flat scales that are not split or frayed at the tips
- Top of disk flower ovary
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant has one or more free-standing stems
- Plant lifespan
- the plant is annual, it lacks evidence of previous years' growth
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Underground organs
- there is a thickened taproot on the plant
-
Leaves
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
-
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
-
- the leaf has a distinct petiole
- the leaf has no petiole
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- Leaf blade bloom
- the underside of the leaf has no noticeable bloom
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf blade hairs
-
- NA
- the leaf blade has simple hairs with no glands, and not tangled or wooly
- Leaf blade length
- 20–120 mm
- Leaf blade shape
- the leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)
- Leaf blade veins
- the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base towards the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 1–10 mm
- Leaf disposition
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
-
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- the leaves have no leaf stalks, but attach directly to the stem
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Massachusetts
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant does not have much of an odor
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Stem bloom
- there is no powdery or waxy film on the stem
- Stem internode hair type
-
- the hairs on the stem are plain, without glands or branches, and not tangled
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Stem internode hairs
-
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
Wetland status
Occurs only in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: UPL)
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
Native to North America?
Sometimes confused with
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
2. Lasthenia minor (DC.) Ornduff E
coastal goldfields. Baeria minor (DC.) Ferris • MA. Fields, roadsides, waste areas.