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Wyethia x cusickii

hybrid mule's ears

woolly mule's ears

Habit Plants not tomentose. Plants tomentose, denser below heads and at bases.
Stems

erect, 32–45 cm, sparsely to very sparsely villous-hirsute.

erect, 30–72 cm.

Basal leaves

lanceolate to elliptic to ovate, 21–26 × 6.5–11.5 cm, generally < 3 × as long as wide, bases sometimes decurrent;

margins entire or with small teeth;

surfaces glabrous but generally sparsely hirsute on midribs and margins;

petioles 2–13 cm. Cauline leaves lanceolate to oblong, 6–18 × 2–6 cm;

petioles 0–4 cm.

ovate-lanceolate to obovate-oblanceolate, 18–32.5 × 5.5–15.3 cm, sometimes ± decurrent;

margins entire;

surfaces tomentose, becoming glabrate;

petioles 10.5–19 cm.

Cauline leaves

ovate-lanceolate to obovate-oblanceolate, 5–21 × 2–7.5 cm;

petioles 0.5–8.6 cm.

Inflorescences

terminal heads 1, occasionally with 1–4 reduced; axillary heads;

peduncles up to 1.5 cm.

terminal heads 1; larger; axillary heads 0–3, sometimes reduced;

peduncles 1.9–5 cm.

Involucres

terminal 30–45 × 13–15 mm; axillary ~12 × 10 mm.

terminal 17–30 × 10–20 mm; axillary 15–25 × 10–15 mm.

Ray florets

~15, light yellow;

rays 35–45 × 8–10 mm.

larger heads 8–13; smaller heads 7–10, yellow;

rays 20–35 × 6–9 mm.

Disc florets

~9 mm.

Phyllaries

linear to lanceolate, 17–28 × 3–6 mm;

surfaces ciliate.

ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, 17–34 × 5–10 mm;

surfaces tomentose, not ciliate.

Fruits

7–11 × 1–2 mm, strigillose apically;

pappus scales lanceolate; crowns 0.3–1 mm.

9–12 × 1.5–2 mm, loosely villous;

pappus scales subulate, 1–3, 2–3 mm, ciliate; crowns 0.3–1 mm.

Paleae

15–18 mm.

Wyethia x cusickii

Wyethia mollis

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Open, grassy areas. Flowering May–Jun. 800–1700 m. BW, Lava. ID, WA. Native.

Wyethia × cusickii is the hybrid between W. amplexicaulis and W. helianthoides and can be expected wherever their ranges overlap. It ranges from something that looks very much like W. amplexicaulis, but with ciliate phyllaries, to something that looks much like W. helianthoides but is mostly glabrous.

Grassy areas. Flowering Jun–Aug. 1300–2000 m. BR, ECas. CA, NV. Native.

“Mollis” means soft, in reference to the hairs.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 369
Abigail (Abby) Moore
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 369
Abigail (Abby) Moore
Sibling taxa
W. amplexicaulis, W. angustifolia, W. helianthoides
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