Deformed flowers with green leafy material appearing in the flowers themselves is a characteristic of aster yellows. Might want to do some research on it as the disease is incurable and can spread easily, so removal and destroying all affected plant material is is highly recommended.

Aster Yellows

I personally thought it was really cool looking...does it harm the plant?

Yes, it does. And it is easily spread by insects to other susceptible plants, which is why it is recommended to remove and destroy any affected plants.

I pulled it out. Fungal type disease is not common here in Southern California -we are having extremely wet weather this winter so I'm sure I will have more surprises this spring as weather warms up

It is not a fungal disease. It is caused by a phytoplasma, a tiny bacterial-like organism that is vectored by a flying insect. There is no specific reason for its cause other than the presence of the insects and the availability of susceptible plants. It is systemic, not curable and there is no preventative treatment.