Eriophyllum confertiflorum

Eriophyllum confertiflorum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Heliantheae
Genus: Eriophyllum
Species: E. confertiflorum
Binomial name
Eriophyllum confertiflorum
(DC.) Gray

Eriophyllum confertiflorum, commonly called golden yarrow or yellow yarrow, is a low growing shrub in the daisy or sunflower family (Asteraceae), with wooly leaves when young, and yellow flower heads.[1] "Eriophyllum" means "wooly leaved.[1]

Eriophyllum confertiflorum gets its common name from the similar appearance of its inflorescence to the true yarrow, Achillea millefolium, which has white flowers.[1]

Habitat and distribution

This is a highly variable plant which is generally a small shrub. It is native to California and Baja California, and its range may extend into Arizona. It can be found in a number of plant communities and habitats.

In the Santa Monica Mountains of California, it is common in open places that are away from the coast.[1]

Description

Growth Pattern

The plant grows in large clumps or stands of many erect stems often exceeding half a meter in height. Botanist Nancy Dale describes the growth pattern as "tidy".[1]

Leaves and stems

Leaves are alternate.[1] Leaves and stems are whitish when young, because of being covered in wooly white hairs, then become greenish to gray-green.[1] Leaves have 3-5 deep lobes.[1]

Inflorescence and fruit

Yellow flowers are crowded in the head, which is up to 3/8", flat-topped, with both disc flowers and ray flowers.[1] "Confertiflorum" means densely flowered.[1]

It blooms from January to July.[1]

The fruit is an achene with a very short pappus.

The top of each stem is occupied by an inflorescence of up to 30 flower heads, each bright golden yellow head with a large center of disc florets and usually a fringe of rounded to oval ray florets.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 Flowering Plants of the Santa Monica Moutains, Nancy Dale, 2nd Ed., 2000, p. 63

External links

The buds are small, oval, and greenish-white.
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