There are many species of malacothryx native to the western and
southwestern United States. Some are locally called “desert dandelion,”
“snake’s head,” “yellow saucers,” and “cliff aster.” _Fendleri_ is one
of the smaller species, with stems only 4 or 5 inches long, rising from
a rosette of bluish-green leaves. Blooming from March to June, this
delicate relative of the common dandelion covers with its pale yellow
flowers rocky slopes and sandy plains and mesas, at elevations between
2,000 and 5,000 feet from West Texas to western Arizona.
_Malacothryx fendleri_ Sunflower Family
[Illustration: MALACOTHRYX]