Venegasia  Venegasia is a genus of North American plants in the tarweed tribe within the sunflower family. Venegasia carpesioides is the only known species in the genus. It is shrubby bush growing to 1.8 m tall and prefers locations in moist canyons in southern California, and in Baja California. It is commonly known as the Canyon sunflower. "Venegasia" was named after the Mexican historian Miguel Venegas, 1680–1764.