Carnegiea gigantea, Giant Saguaro

Southwest Desert Flora

Home to the plants of the Sonoran, Chihuahuan and Mojave Deserts

Cirsium ochrocentrum, Yellowspine Thistle

Layia glandulosa, Whitedaisy Tidytips

Whitedaisy Tidytips has showy pure bright white 1.5-inch (4 cm) flowers with beautiful golden-yellow centers as seen here. Layia glandulosa Whitedaisy Tidytips, also called White Tidytips and Yellow Rayed Layia, flower heads are surrounded by glandular hairs, as shown here, which may be quite sticky. Layia glandulosa Whitedaisy Tidytips are small slim plants that grow upright. Note the stems are green in the photo and may also be Purple-streaked. The foliage is slightly scented. Layia glandulosa Whitedaisy Tidytips bloom from February or March to June or July with sufficient rainfall. They prefer elevations up to 5,000 feet (1,524 m) or more - 7,500 feet, (2,286 m). Layia glandulosa Whitedaisy Tidytips are found in open areas in upper and lower deserts in gravelly or sandy soils. Note the green leaves that are mostly thin and linear. Layia glandulosa

Scientific Name: Layia glandulosa
Common Name: Whitedaisy Tidytips

Also Called: Tidy Tips, White Tidytips, Yellow Rayed Layia

Family: Asteraceae, Sunflower Family

Synonyms: (Blepharipappus glandulosus, Layia glandulosa ssp. lutea, Layia glandulosa ssp. glandulosa, Layia neomexicana)

Status: Native

Duration: Annual

Size: 1 to 24 inches, (3-60 cm)

Growth Form: Forb/herb; small slim plants, upright; glandular, soft hairs throughout, stems green or purple-streaked, foliage slightly scented.

Leaves: Green leaves; mostly thin, linear.

Flower Color: Showy pure bright white 1.5 inch (4 cm) flowers with yellow centers; flower heads with both ray and disk florets, the ray florets are pure white while the disk florets constitute the yellow centers; note in the photo above the heads are surrounded by glandular hairs which may be quite sticky; the fruit is a cypsela with a pappus.

Flowering Season: February or March to June or July with sufficient rainfall.

Elevation: Up to 5,000 feet (1,524 m) or more - 7,500 feet, (2,286 m)

Habitat Preferences: Open areas in upper and lower deserts, upland habitats, grasslands, meadows, dry areas, open areas and clearings, gravelly or sandy soil.

Recorded Range: Whitedaisy Tidytips is found in the Pacific northwest and southwestern United States. The largest populations are found in Nevada where they are found statewide followed by Arizona, California and Oregon. They are also native to north and central Baja California.

North America & US County Distribution Map for Layia glandulosa.

North America species range map for Whitedaisy Tidytips, Layia glandulosa:

North America species range map for Whitedaisy Tidytips, Layia glandulosa: Click image for full size map.
Click image for full size map

U.S. Weed Information: Unknown
Invasive/Noxious Weed Information: Unknown
Wetland Indicator: Unknown
Threatened/Endangered Information: Unknown

Genus Information: In North America there are 14 species and 14 accepted taxa overall for Layia. Worldwide, The Plant List includes 20 accepted species names and a further 39 scientific names of infraspecific rank for Layia.

The genus Layia was puplished by Hooker, William Jackson Hooker (1785-1865) and George Arnott Walker (1799-1868) in 1833.

In the Southwestern United States: Arizona and Utah each have 2 species of Layia, California has 14 species, Nevada and New Mexico each have 1 species, and Texas has 0 species. Data approximate and subject to revision.

Comments: Whitedaisy Tidytips, although found in a variety of habitats is not typically a common or abundant species. White Tidytips only blooms if there have been adequate winter rainfall. The genus Layia truly belong to California where all 14 species can be found and 12 of those species are found only in California.

Superficially resembles White Woolly Daisy, Eriophyllum lanosum.

Importance to Wildlife, Birds and Livestock
Layia glandulosa daisy-like flowers, seeds and plants may be visited by hummingbirds and/or small mammals including rodents in search of food.

Layia glandulosa daisy-like brightly colored flowers and plants may be visited by butterflies, moths and other insects in search of food and nectar.

Special Value to Native Bees
According to The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Whitedaisy Tidytips, Layia glandulosa is recognized by pollination ecologists as attracting large numbers of Native bees. Click here for more information on their Pollinator Conservation Program.

Etymology:
The genus “Layia” (Lay'ia:) is named for George Tradescant Lay (1799-1845). Lay botanized on Hawaii, California and Alaska.

The genus Layia was puplished by Hooker, William Jackson Hooker (1785-1865) and George Arnott Walker (1799-1868) in 1833.

The species epithet glandulosa (glandulo'sa:) means “provided with glands,” referring to the secreting structures on the surface ending in hairs or other plant parts.

Ethnobotany
Layia glandulosa is used for a multitude of purposes by southwestern United States indigenous peoples.
  • Cahuilla Food, Porridge; Seeds ground into flour and used with other ground seeds in a mush.
  • Luiseno Food, Unspecified; Seeds used for food.

  • See complete listing of ethno-botanical uses at Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn.

    Date Profile Completed: 08/06/2012; updated 08/30/2020
    References:
    Arizona Flora, Kearney, Thomas H., Peebles, Robert H., 1960, University of California Press, Berkley and Los Angeles
    U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service on-line database and USGS ITIS search - accessed 08/30/2020.
    https://plants.usda.gov/java/stateSearch
    The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Published on the Internet; http://www.theplantlist.org/ - accessed 08/30/2020.
    http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/search?q=layia
    Native Plant Information Network, NPIN (2013). Published on the Internet http://www.wildflower.org/plants/ - accessed 08/30/2020. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas, Austin, TX.
    https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LAGL5
    Bruce G. Baldwin, Susan J. Bainbridge, John L. StrotherFlora of North America; Asteraceae, Layia, 9. Layia glandulosa (Hooker) Hooker & Arnott, Bot. Beechey Voy. 358. 1839.; Flora of North America North of Mexico. 16+ vols. New York and Oxford.
    FNA 2006, Wiggins 1964, Kearney and Peebles 1969, Martin and Hutchins 1980; Editor: S.Buckley, 2010; from SEINet Field Guide, on-line; - accessed 08/30/2020.
    https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/taxa/index.php?taxon=3901&clid=3080#
    Bruce G. Baldwin & Susan J. Bainbridge 2012, Layia glandulosa, in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, /eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=3749, accessed on August 30, 2020.
    Michael J. Plagens, Sonoran Desert Field Guide; Arizonensis - Tidy-tips, Layia glandulosa; - accessed 08/30/2020.
    http://www.arizonensis.org/sonoran/fieldguide/plantae/layia_glandulosa.html
    Wikipedia contributors, 'Layia glandulosa', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 14 May 2019, 02:07 UTC,
    https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Layia_glandulosa&oldid=896988016 [accessed 30 August 2020]
    Seiler, John, Peterson, John,; North American species range map courtesy of Virginia Tech, Dept. of Forest Resources & Environmental Conservation
    http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/
    Etymology: Michael L. Charters California Plant Names: Latin and Greek Meanings and Derivations; A Dictionary of Botanical and Biographical Etymology - accessed 08/30/2020.
    http://www.calflora.net/botanicalnames/pageLA-LE.html
    http://www.calflora.net/botanicalnames/pageG.html