''Eriophyllum lanatum'', with the common names common woolly sunflower, Oregon sunshine and golden yarrow, is a common, widespread, North American plant in the family

Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...

.University of California, Calflora taxon report: ''Eriophyllum lanatum'' (Pursh) James Forbes
/ref>Sierra Nevada Wildflowers, Karen Wiese, 2nd Ed. 2013, p. 116

Description

''Eriophyllum lanatum'' is a

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

herb growing from in height, in well-branched clumps. Both the stems and

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

may be covered with a woolly gray hair, but some plants lack this. The leaves are long,

linear In mathematics, the term ''linear'' is used in two distinct senses for two different properties: * linearity of a '' function'' (or '' mapping''); * linearity of a '' polynomial''. An example of a linear function is the function defined by f(x) ...

on the upper stems, and slender and pinnately lobed on the lower stems. The hairs conserve water by reflecting heat and reducing air movement across the leaf's surface. The flowers are yellow and composite, looking much like true

sunflowers ''Helianthus'' () is a genus comprising around 70 species of annual and perennial flowering plants in the daisy family Asteraceae commonly known as sunflowers. Except for three South American species, the species of ''Helianthus'' are native to ...

, and sometimes grow to about wide. Both the (8–12) ray and disk flowers are yellow, with one

flower head A pseudanthium (; : pseudanthia) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, composite flowers ...

on each flowering stalk.Flora of North America, ''Eriophyllum lanatum'' (Pursh) J. Forbes, 1833. Common woolly sunflower
/ref> The flower heads have 6–14 rays, which are darker towards the base, and several disk flowers. They bloom from May to August. The seeds have scales at the tip.

Taxonomy

The

Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gro ...

reportedly saw this plant growing above their camp on the Clearwater River (near present-day

Kamiah, Idaho Kamiah ( ) is a city in Lewis and Idaho counties in the U.S. state of Idaho. The largest city in Lewis County, it extends only a small distance into Idaho County, south of Lawyer Creek. The population was 1,295 at the 2010 census, up from 1,16 ...

), and collected two specimens on 6 June 1806. Botanist

Frederick Traugott Pursh Frederick Traugott Pursh (or Friedrich Traugott Pursch) (February 4, 1774 – July 11, 1820) was a German people, German–United States, American botanist. Born in Großenhain, in the Electorate of Saxony, under the name Friedrich Traugott Pursh, ...

studied the plants collected on the expedition; his first classification and naming of the species, as ''Actinella lanata'', was published in 1813. The common name "woolly sunflower" is often used to describe any member of the genus ''

Eriophyllum ''Eriophyllum'', commonly known as the woolly sunflower, is a North American genus of plants in the family Asteraceae. The genus is native to western North America (USA, Canada, northwestern Mexico), with a concentration of narrow endemics in Cal ...

''.

Varieties

Varieties Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

include: *''Eriophyllum lanatum'' var. ''achillioides'' ( DC.) Jeps. —

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

. *''Eriophyllum lanatum'' var. ''arachnoideum'' (Fisch. & Avé-Lall.) Jeps. — Spiderweb sunflower;

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the

California Coast Ranges The Coast Ranges of California span from Del Norte County, California, Del Norte or Humboldt County, California, south to Santa Barbara County, California, Santa Barbara County. The other three coastal California mountain ranges are the Trans ...

from

Del Norte County Del Norte County (Spanish for "Of The North") is a county located at the far northwest corner of the U.S. state of California, along the Pacific Ocean adjacent to the Oregon border. Its population was 27,743 as of the 2020 census, down from 28 ...

Monterey County Monterey County ( ), officially the County of Monterey, is a county located on the Pacific coast in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 439,035. The county's largest city and county seat is ...

in California. *''Eriophyllum lanatum'' var. ''croceum'' ( Greene) Jeps. — Sierra woolly sunflower; endemic to the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...

in California. *''Eriophyllum lanatum'' var. ''grandiflorum'' ( A.Gray) Jeps. — Large flowered woolly sunflower; northern California, Oregon. *''Eriophyllum lanatum'' var. ''hallii''

Constance Constance may refer to: Places * Constance, Kentucky, United States, an unincorporated community * Constance, Minnesota, United States, an unincorporated community * Mount Constance, Washington State, United States * Lake Constance (disambiguat ...

— Fort Tejon woolly sunflower, Hall's woolly sunflower; endemic to the

Tehachapi Mountains The Tehachapi Mountains (; Kawaiisu: ''Tihachipia'', meaning "hard climb") are a mountain range in the Transverse Ranges system of California in the Western United States. The range extends for approximately in southern Kern County and northwe ...

Kern County Kern County is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 909,235. Its county seat is Bakersfield, California, Bakersfield. Kern County compris ...

, and Sierra Madre Mountains in

Santa Barbara County Santa Barbara County, officially the County of Santa Barbara (), is a county located in Southern California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 448,229. The county seat is Santa Barbara, and the largest city is Santa M ...

, in

southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

. *''Eriophyllum lanatum'' var. ''integrifolium'' (Hook.) Smiley — Oregon sunshine; California,

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

, Nevada, Oregon,

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

. *''Eriophyllum lanatum'' var. ''lanatum'' — Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington. *''Eriophyllum lanatum'' var. ''lanceolatum'' (

Howell Howell may refer to: Places In the United States * Howell, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Howell, Evansville, a neighborhood in Indiana * Howell, Michigan, a city in Livingston County * Howell County, Missouri * Howell, Missouri, a ...

) Jeps. — endemic to the

Klamath Mountains The Klamath Mountains are a rugged and lightly populated mountain range in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon in the western United States. As a mountain system within both the greater Pacific Coast Ranges and the California Coast R ...

, in NW California and SW Oregon. *''Eriophyllum lanatum'' var. ''leucophyllum'' ( DC.) W.R.Carter —

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, Oregon, Washington. *''Eriophyllum lanatum'' var. ''obovatum'' ( Greene) H.M.Hall — Southern Sierra woolly sunflower; endemic to the western Sierra Nevada and the

San Bernardino Mountains The San Bernardino Mountains are a high and rugged mountain range in Southern California in the United States. Situated north and northeast of San Bernardino and spanning two California counties, the range tops out at at San Gorgonio Mountain ...

in California.

Distribution and habitat

''Eriophyllum lanatum'' is native to western North America. It is most common across

, also growing north through

into

and east through

into

, and through

into

.Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
/ref> This species has only been collected from

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

once, on

Guadalupe Island Guadalupe Island () is a volcanic island located off the western coast of Mexico's Baja California peninsula and about southwest of the city of Ensenada in the state of Baja California, in the Pacific Ocean. The various volcanoes are extinc ...

, and it is most likely extirpated there. It can be found (for instance in California) in

chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant plant community, community found primarily in California, southern Oregon, and northern Baja California. It is shaped by a Mediterranean climate (mild wet winters and hot dry summers) and infrequent, high-intens ...

oak woodland An oak woodland is a plant community with a tree canopy dominated by oaks (''Quercus spp.''). In terms of canopy closure, oak woodlands are intermediate between oak savanna, which is more open, and oak forest, which is more closed. Although the c ...

, mixed evergreen forest, and yellow pine forest and other conifer forests,

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...

, and

sagebrush scrub Sagebrush scrub is a vegetation type (biome) of mid-to-high elevation Western United States deserts characterized by low-growing drought-resistant shrubs including the sagebrush ('' Artemisia tridentata'') and its associates.Karen Wiese, Sierra Ne ...

habitats. It commonly grows in dry, open places below in elevation. It prefers full sun and well-drained

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...

, but it also grows on rocky slopes and bluffs.

References

External links

Calflora Database: ''Eriophyllum lanatum'' (Common woolly sunflower, Wooly sunflower)Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of ''Eriophyllum lanatum''USDA Plants Profile for ''Eriophyllum lanatum'' (common woolly sunflower)U.C. Calphotos gallery: ''Eriophyllum lanatum'' imagesWildflowers of the Pacific Northwest: ''Eriophyllum lanatum''
— ''photos, description, Northwest distribution map''.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas: ''Eriophyllum lanatum''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2592617 lanatum Flora of British Columbia Flora of California Flora of Guadalupe Island Flora of Nevada Flora of Utah Flora of the Cascade Range Flora of the Great Basin Flora of the Klamath Mountains Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Flora of the Northwestern United States Flora without expected TNC conservation status Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Plants described in 1813 Taxa named by Frederick Traugott Pursh

Description

Taxonomy

Varieties

Distribution and habitat

References

Further reading

External links