Trichoptilium incisum, which is known by the common names Yellowhead and Yellowdome. This is a plant in the daisy family which is native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of the United States and Mexico. It sends up stems from a basal rosette of sharply-toothed leaves which are covered in curly hairs and oil glands. Atop each stem is a small rounded bright yellow flower head with only disc florets. Each head is a hemispherical button about a centimeter in diameter. The fruit is bristly with pappus. The genus name derives from the Greek words meaning hair and feather, referring to the fruit tips dissected scales. This is the only species in the genus!

The Yellowdome is the flower in the middle of the top photo and a close-up of it can be seen in the bottom photo. The Brown-Eyed Primrose is the light yellow flower next to the Yellowdome. Brown-Eyed Primrose, like most primroses, is a favorite food of the white-lined sphinx moth. The caterpillars feed on the leaves and the adult moths feed on the night-blooming flowers. Photos taken on the Joshua Tree Adventure Tour.