# tidy tips

*Layia platyglossa*

The distinct white tips on its yellow petals act as a visual 'nectar guide' to direct pollinating insects straight to the flower's center.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Asterales › Asteraceae › Layia
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Coastal sage scrub, valleys, and foothill grasslands.
- **Diet:** Photosynthetic (sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and soil minerals).
- **Range:** California, Arizona, Baja California
- **Size:** 10 to 60 cm (4 to 24 inches) in height
- **Lifespan:** 1 year (annual)
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Invasive non-native grasses, urban development, and agricultural expansion.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. These beautiful wildflowers are safe to approach, photograph, and admire closely. Avoid stepping on them to protect their delicate stems. If touched, they are non-toxic, but it is best to leave them undisturbed for local pollinators.

## About

Layia platyglossa , commonly called coastal tidytips , is an annual wildflower of the Asteraceae Family, native to western North America.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/c1ad703d-f4c7-4130-851e-6a4f657be64b
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/50876
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Layia platyglossa
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/2826/medium.jpg (Franco Folini, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

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