Lately, these little weeds with yellow flowers have been popping up all around our area. I got curious as to what they were, so I asked Grok, which came up with the following:
These are cinchweed (also called manybristle cinchweed), Pectis papposa.
It’s a native Sonoran Desert annual that germinates quickly after summer monsoon rains and often appears in abundance among rocks and gravel in September. The small yellow daisy heads (typically 8–15 mm across) sit in clusters at the ends of forked stems, and the leaves are narrow and linear—exactly as in your photo. Crush a leaf and you’ll usually get a lemon or spicy scent from the oil glands.
It is common around Wickenburg and throughout the mid-elevation Sonoran Desert on rocky slopes, washes, and open ground. The plants are short-lived and will fade once cooler, drier weather arrives.
Since they aren’t much of a nuisance, we will let them do their thing before they fade away in a few weeks. Click on the image above to enlarge.
