Last Addition: July 26, 2000. Each "thumbnail" image below is linked to a larger photograph.
Layia includes 14 annual species ranging from central Washington and Idaho to Baja California and New Mexico. Plants 2-130 cm high. Heads radiate (except L. discoidea); phyllaries (0)3-27 each generally folded around a ray ovary; receptacular chaff scales free, marginal or scattered throughout disk; ray florets pistillate, corollas white to yellow, the tubes hairy; disk florets 4-125, perfect, corollas yellow; anthers yellow or dark purple; ray cypselae obcompressed, generally more or less glabrous, epappose; disk cypselae generally club-shaped, more or less hairy, pappus various. On good years many populations provide a continuous blanket of spring color. Diploid chromosome numbers include n = 7 (six species) and n = 8 (eight species). Layia hieracioides includes both diploid (n = 8) and tetraploid (n = 16) populations.