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| Family: Cistaceae (Rock Rose) |
| Flowers — color: yellow, size: 1/2", type: 5 petals |
Common Sun Rose has bright yellow flowers that can be seen at a distance in the coastal scrub, about 1/2" diameter. Its five petals may curl and form a shallow cup. The center holds many yellow stamens tipped with prominent yellow to orange anthers. They surround the pistil with a large white stigma. Flowers bloom in a small cluster at the stem's end from late winter through the summer.
Habit:
Common Sun Rose is a small perennial shrub. It forms a bushy clump of of long smooth stems, reaching one foot high and two feet wide. These stems branch only occasionally, so the mass is not tangled. Long thin leaves grow alternately along the stem, eventually multiple leaves may appear at nodes.
The last two photos contrast the plant's appearance: full and green in March, thin and browner in August. The summer plant seems to have dropped its leaves to conserve water, being "drought-deciduous". Common Sun Rose uses its energy to continue producing flowers and making more seeds while attracting and maintaining pollinators.
Common Sun Rose is a "fire-follower" that enjoys disturbed areas without competition. Their seeds have a tough coating making them impermeable to water. Only 25% of seeds germinate the following year, presumably those with thinner coatings. The remainder wait for a wildfire's heat to crack their coatings and allow germination. Open sunny areas.