Rosilla

Rosilla ranges greatly in size and shape: it can have a few low lying branches or a tall, spindly stem nearing 1.5 meters in height. The plant’s narrow tapered leaves spot the lower halves of the erect stalk. On top of each slender stalk is one spherical greenish-yellow flower. The flowers are composed of tight bunches of disc florets, which are yellow when new and darken with age. Each head also has 13-17 inconspicuous yellow ray petals beneath the buttonhead that point back towards the stalk. Sometimes the ray florets are totally absent.

Basic Information

• Member of the Asteracae family

• Either an annual or perennial herb

Habitat

• Native to California and Baja California

• Commonly found alongside river banks, streams, marshes, wetlands, and meadows

Ecological Role

• Attracts many types of butterflies and bees

Reproduction

• Blooms from May to August

• ​​Pollinated by butterflies, bees, and moths

Alternative Names

• Sneezeweed

Historical Uses

• Native American used the plant to make sarsaparilla, a tonic and antiscorbutic (ie. it prevents or cures scurvy)

• The Ohlone used the dried, powdered plant medicinally in the following ways:

  • Rubbed on the forehead and nose for colds

  • Placed on wounds to promote healing

  • Used as a snuff to induce sneezing

• Native Americans in the Mendocino area consumed the leaves and heads raw

  • Also used the plant for venereal diseases