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Taxon  Report  
Benitoa occidentalis  (H. M. Hall) D. D. Keck
Benitoa
Benitoa occidentalis is an annual herb that is native to California, and endemic (limited) to California.
also called Lessingia occidentalis
California Rare Plant Rank: 4.3 (limited distribution).
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
Observation Search
~4513 records in California
yellowone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
DJJJASONAFMM

Bloom Period
Genus: Benitoa
Family: Asteraceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Ultramafic affinity: 4.1 - broad endemic / strong indicator

Communities: Northern Coastal Scrub, Foothill Woodland, Chaparral, Valley Grassland

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + CNPS + PLANTS + POWO
Alternate Names:
JEFHaplopappus occidentalis
JEF + CNPS + PLANTSLessingia occidentalis
Information about  Benitoa occidentalis from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (BEOC)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[calscape.org] Description: Benitoa is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family, Asteraceae. Benitoa is a monotypic genus containing the single species Benitoa occidentalis, which is known simply as benitoa. It is sometimes included in genus Lessingia as the synonym Lessingia occidentalis. Flower Color - Yellow (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2025. The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 05/23/2025).