# grassy tarweed

*Madia gracilis*

Indigenous peoples, including the Miwok, harvested the protein-rich seeds of this plant, roasting and grinding them into a highly nutritious, peanut-butter-like meal called pinole.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Asterales › Asteraceae › Madia
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Dry, open grasslands, oak woodlands, chaparral, and disturbed roadsides.
- **Diet:** Autotrophic (photosynthesis, drawing water and nutrients from the soil).
- **Range:** Western North America, California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia
- **Size:** 10 to 100 cm (4 to 40 inches) tall
- **Lifespan:** 1 year (annual)
- **Active:** crepuscular
- **Threats:** Invasive weed competition, urban development, and intensive livestock overgrazing.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. You can safely observe this plant at any distance. Touching it is safe, but be aware that its glandular hairs exude a highly sticky, aromatic resin that can easily stain clothing and skin. If you get the sticky sap on your hands, wash with soap and water or use an oil-based cleanser.

## About

Madia gracilis is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names grassy tarweed , slender tarweed , and gumweed madia .

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/ad5fc21c-bee0-42b7-be4d-b007de034364
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/53135
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madia gracilis
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/272767956/medium.jpg (Amy, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.