Coyote Brush, Baccharis pilularis, female plant

This is a female plant, each composite head consisting entirely of female flowers. Each of the little "split ends" is a stigma,
the outer tip of the female pistil. These stigmas are waiting to be pollinated; pollination will occur when the plant is visited by an insect.
Once once these pistils receive pollen, they quickly change form and the flower will turn into a cluster of seed heads.

Normally, male plants occur in proximity to the female plants, in roughly equal numbers. Insects visit both plants seeking nectar, and, in some cases,
pollen. In any case, they inadvertently pick up some pollen on the male plants and leave some pollen on the female flowers, thus enabling reproduction.

A number of different insects pollinate Coyote Brush, including flies, honey bees, native bees, bumblebees, wasps and butterflies.