California Aster, Lessingia filaginifolia Family Aster (Asteraceae) Height 12-24" Color Pink, purple or white Flowers Ray flowers 2-3.5" cm wide Blooms August-September Leaves Sparse. Grayish green and sometimes wooly. Habitat Mainly coastal but also found in interior grasslands.     The California Aster is one of the few wildflowers blooming in late summer. Its soft pink color though is often lost in the dry yellow grass so it can be difficult to spot. In this area, you will most likely see Lessingia filaginifolia var. californica. This flower is also called Beach Aster or Common Sandaster despite the fact that is found in grassy inland areas as well as coastal sand dunes. The flower also has an additional scientific name -- Corethrogyne filaginifolia. Another flower, Aster chilensis, is sometimes identified as California Aster. It is also in the Sunflower family and looks similar. caption: file: x - square 0" x 0" at 300 dpi - release: contact us regarding image add image to lightbox References Beidleman, Linda H., and Eugene N. Kozloff. Plants of the San Francisco Bay Region: Mendocino to Monterey. Berekeley, CA: University of California, 2003. http://www.calflora.org/ http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/