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- Layia platyglossa
Layia platyglossa — coastal tidytips
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Facts
Coastal tidytips is native to California and Baja Mexico. Its seeds must have germinated in a dump in Massachusetts. The seeds of this plant were an important staple food for the Cahuilla, Costanoan and Mendocino tribes of California.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats)
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.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Massachusetts
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
-
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and 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
-
- white
- yellow
- Tuft or plume on fruit
-
- at least a part of the plume is made up of fine bristles
- 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
- 4–100 mm
- Disk flower number
-
- 11-20
- 21-50
- 6-10
- more than 50
-
Flowers
- Bract color
- the bracts are not colored or tinged with pink, red or purple
- 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 hairs having glands (a swelling at the tip of the hair)
- 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 lanceolate (widest above the base, then taper narrowly towards the tip)
- the main bracts are oblanceolate (widest near the tip, but otherwise narrow and tapering)
- Bract spines
- the bracts have no spines
- Bract texture
- the bracts have a similar texture to a leaf
- Bract tip color
- the tips are the same color as the center of the bract
- Bract tip orientation
- the bracts are pressed against the plant, or spreading out at the tips
- Bract tip shape
-
- the tips of the bracts acute (have a sharp point)
- the tips of the bracts are obtuse (have a blunt point)
- Bracts
- the bracts in separate cycles are similar or gradually changing from the outer to inner cycles
- Disk flower color
- yellow
- Disk flower lobe number
- 5
- Disk flower number
-
- 11-20
- 21-50
- 6-10
- 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 number
- each flowering stem has only one to three flower heads on it
- 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 papery scales on it
- Flower head position
- each of the flower heads is separate on its own peduncle (stalk), not clustered in groups
- Flower head profile
-
- the disk is flat or nearly flat across the top
- the disk is rounded 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
- 4–18 mm
- Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
- NA
- Inflorescence shape
-
- NA
- the inflorescence is flat-topped in profile
- Number of bracts at flower head base
- 5–18
- Ovary beak
- there is no beak on the ovary
- Ovary cross-section
- the ovary is compressed (flattened)
- 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 another shape
- Peduncle hair type
- the hairs on the peduncles have glands at their tips
- Peduncle hairs
- the peduncles are hairy
- Ray flower color
-
- white
- yellow
- Ray flower reproductive parts
- the ray flowers have carpels or stamens, but not both
- Ray flowers
-
- 1-5
- 11-15
- 6-10
- Ray length
- 3–21 mm
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers on the plant contain both carpels and stamens
- Style branch number
- the style has two branches
- Swelling at base of flower head
- the peduncles are not swollen, or only slightly
- Width of flower head base
- 4–15 mm
-
Fruits or seeds
- Number of pappus parts
-
- 0
- 11 or more
- Ovary length in developed fruit
- 2–5 mm
- Seed hair tuft color
-
- the pappus hairs are tan to dark brown
- the pappus hairs are white or off-white
- Seed hair tuft details
-
- NA
- the pappus hairs have smaller hairs along their sides
- Seed hair tuft length
- 2–5 mm
- Seed hairs uniform
- all the pappus hairs are approximately the same length
- Seed tuft scale number
- 0–32
- Seed tuft type
-
- the pappus is made of flat scales that are not split or frayed at the tips
- the pappus is made of very fine hairs or bristles
- Top of disk flower ovary
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
-
- at least a part of the plume is made up of fine bristles
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
-
Glands or sap
- Bract resin
-
- the bracts have no resin or resin glands
- the bracts have resin or resin glands
- Leaf blade glands
- the leaf blades have glandular (translucent) dots or scales
-
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
-
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
-
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
- 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 edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf blade hairs
-
- NA
- the leaf blade has hairs with glands at their tips
- Leaf blade length
- 4–100 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)
- the leaf blade is oblanceolate (lance-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- 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 no leaf stalks, but attach directly to the stem
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Specific leaf type
-
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Massachusetts
- Specific habitat
- man-made or disturbed habitats
-
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 internode hair direction
- the hairs point mostly upwards to outwards
- Stem internode hair type
- at least some of the hairs on the stem have glands
- Stem internode hairs
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
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)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Layia platyglossa (Fisch. & C.A. Mey.) Gray E
coastal tidytips. Layia platyglossa (Fisch. & C.A. Mey.) Gray var. breviseta Gray; L. platyglossa (Fisch. & C.A. Mey.) Gray ssp. campestris Keck • MA. Wool waste.
Native to North America?
Yes and no (some introduced)
Synonyms
- Layia platyglossa (Fisch. & C.A. Mey.) Gray ssp. campestris Keck
- Layia platyglossa (Fisch. & C.A. Mey.) Gray var. breviseta Gray