Silver Puff,  Uropappus lindleyi

Midseason Bloomer.  Small yellow flowers, white, rounded, feathery seed balls.  Can resemble “Blow Wives.”

Notes: Aster (Sunflower) family.  The small, single, yellow flowers are seldom noticed.  It is when they go to seed, forming the showy seed balls, that they are most apparent on our trail.  That it why it was decided to place it under white instead of  yellow flowers, as we felt people would see it and look for it there.  It is listed in wildflower books under yellow.  The picture below is of the seed head, which is white and about an inch across.

No USDA classification was found with the above plant name, but it does appear under this name in Calflora at link, where its new name is given as Microseris lindleyi., which does appear in USDA classification.  Click on the species name below to go to USDA for this plant.

Kingdom Plantae -- Plants
    Subkingdom Tracheobionta -- Vascular plants
        Superdivision Spermatophyta -- Seed plants
            Division Magnoliophyta -- Flowering plants
                Class Magnoliopsida -- Dicotyledons
                    Subclass Asteridae
                        Order Asterales
                            Family Asteraceae -- Aster family
                                Genus Microseris D. Don -- silverpuffs
                                    Species Microseris lindleyi (DC.) Gray -- Lindley's silverpuffs

Silver Puff,  Uropappus lindleyi