Bush Sunflower
Encelia californica
32.6737, -117.242
Field Notes
Description:
A broad, rounded subshrub, 3-4 ft. high and equally as wide. It is woody just at the base. Brittle, green branches occur in circular bunches and bear bright-green, oval leaves which remain on the plant year-round only in wetter years. Two in., daisy-like flowers appear on long, leafless stalks. The yellow ray flowers surround reddish-purple disk flowers.
Habitat:
Cabrillo National Monument
The park offers a superb view of San Diegos harbor and skyline. At the highest point of the park stands the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, which has been a San Diego icon since 1854. A statue and museum in the Visitor Center commemorate Juan Rodrguez Cabrillo's exploration of the coast of California. In a former army building an exhibit tells the story of the coast artillery on Point Loma.
In the winter, migrating gray whales can be seen off the coast.
The two-mile Bayside Trail affords spectacular views of San Diego Bay and the city beyond, and takes you through one of the last remaining remnants of coastal sage scrub habitat in the world.
The rocky intertidal area is one of the best protected examples of these unique ecosystems in Southern California.
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