Burke: Arnica lanceolata vs. Arnica longifolia

	Arnica lanceolata	Arnica longifolia
	clasping arnica, stream bank arnica	longleaf arnica, seep spring arnica, spear-leaf leopardbane
Habit	Perennial from a freely-rooting rhizome, 3-8 dm. tall, more or less glandular and hairy.	Densely tufted perennial, often in large patches, from a short rhizome; many sterile, leafy stems; flowering stems leafy, 3-6 dm. high.
Leaves	Cauline leaves 5-12 pairs, not much reduced upward, narrowly lance-elliptic or lance-ovate, sessile, more or less toothed, 5-12 cm. long and 1.2-6 cm. wide.	Leaves opposite, 5-7 pairs, the lower sheathing, with reduced blade; other leaves nearly sessile, only slightly reduced upward, lanceolate or lance-elliptic with a pointed tip, entire, 5-12 cm. long and 1-2 cm. wide; no basal leaves.
Flowers	Heads several; involucre 9-15 mm. high, its bracts sharply pointed; rays 8-14, pale yellow, 1-2 cm. long; pappus tawny, sub-plumose.	Heads several to many; involucre 7-10 mm. high, the bracts sharply pointed; rays 8-13, yellow, pistillate, 1-2 cm. long; disk flowers yellow; pappus tawny, barbellate.
Fruits	Achenes sparsely hirsute and sometimes glandular.	Achenes glandular and hairy or sub-glabrous.

	Arnica lanceolata	Arnica longifolia
Flowering time	June-August	July-September
Habitat	Streambanks, moist woods and meadows from middle elevations to the subalpine.	Rocky soil in seeps or springs, cliffs, or riverbanks, from middle elevations to the alpine.
Distribution	Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington, including the Olympic Mountains and the northeastern region; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, also in northeastern North America. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Native	Native
Conservation status	Not of concern	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	A. chamissonis, A. cordifolia, A. discoidea, A. fulgens, A. gracilis, A. latifolia, A. longifolia, A. mollis, A. nevadensis, A. ovata, A. parryi, A. rydbergii, A. sororia	A. chamissonis, A. cordifolia, A. discoidea, A. fulgens, A. gracilis, A. lanceolata, A. latifolia, A. mollis, A. nevadensis, A. ovata, A. parryi, A. rydbergii, A. sororia
Subordinate taxa	A. lanceolata ssp. prima
Web links	Local floras: BC, OR, WA Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Arnica longifolia

clasping arnica, stream bank arnica

longleaf arnica, seep spring arnica, spear-leaf leopardbane

Habit

Perennial from a freely-rooting rhizome, 3-8 dm. tall, more or less glandular and hairy.

Densely tufted perennial, often in large patches, from a short rhizome; many sterile, leafy stems; flowering stems leafy, 3-6 dm. high.

Leaves

Cauline leaves 5-12 pairs, not much reduced upward, narrowly lance-elliptic or lance-ovate, sessile, more or less toothed, 5-12 cm. long and 1.2-6 cm. wide.

Leaves opposite, 5-7 pairs, the lower sheathing, with reduced blade; other leaves nearly sessile, only slightly reduced upward, lanceolate or lance-elliptic with a pointed tip, entire, 5-12 cm. long and 1-2 cm. wide; no basal leaves.

Flowers

Heads several;

involucre 9-15 mm. high, its bracts sharply pointed;

rays 8-14, pale yellow, 1-2 cm. long;

pappus tawny, sub-plumose.

Heads several to many;

involucre 7-10 mm. high, the bracts sharply pointed;

rays 8-13, yellow, pistillate, 1-2 cm. long;

disk flowers yellow;

pappus tawny, barbellate.

Fruits

Achenes sparsely hirsute and sometimes glandular.

Achenes glandular and hairy or sub-glabrous.

Arnica lanceolata

Arnica longifolia

Flowering time

June-August

July-September

Habitat

Streambanks, moist woods and meadows from middle elevations to the subalpine.

Rocky soil in seeps or springs, cliffs, or riverbanks, from middle elevations to the alpine.

Distribution

Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington, including the Olympic Mountains and the northeastern region; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, also in northeastern North America.

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]