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cluster goldenweed, racemose pyrrocoma

intermountain pyrrocoma, lance-leaf goldenweed

Habit Plants 20–75 cm. Plants 20–50 cm.
Stems

2–5, erect or strongly ascending, brownish to red-tinged, bases often curved, sparsely to moderately leafy, usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely tomentulose or villous, eglandular.

1–10, decumbent to ascending or erect, red-tinged, sometimes branched, sparsely leafy, ± tomentulose or glabrous, sometimes stipitate-glandular.

Leaves

basal (tufted) petiolate, blades lanceolate or oblanceolate to elliptic, 50–200(–300) × 4–30 mm, margins spinulose-serrate to entire or undulate, ciliate, apices acute, sometimes recurved;

cauline sessile, blades lanceolate, 10–40 × 2–4 mm, reduced distally;

faces usually glabrous, sometimes villous.

basal blades lanceolate or rarely oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 50–300 × 8–30 mm, margins sharply dentate, eciliate, apices acute, spinulose;

cauline sessile, lanceolate, bases clasping;

faces ± tomentulose to glabrate or glabrous, sometimes stipitate-glandular.

Peduncles

0–2 cm.

0–6 cm.

Involucres

hemispheric to campanulate, 5–15 × 5–18 mm.

hemispheric, 7–10 × 10–18 mm.

Ray florets

7–28;

corollas 5–12 mm.

18–45;

corollas 6–11 mm.

Disc florets

20–65;

corollas 5–8 mm.

20–100;

corollas 5–7 mm.

Phyllaries

in 4–5 series, lanceolate to oblanceolate or oblong, 6–13 mm, strongly unequal, margins sometimes ciliate, apices green, obtuse or acute, sometimes recurved, faces glabrous, sparsely tomentulose, or densely villous.

in 3–4 series, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, 3–11 mm, unequal, bases white-chartaceous, margins entire, eciliate, apices conspicuously green, faces glabrous or tomentulose, rarely stipitate-glandular.

Heads

(1–)3–15+ in spiciform, racemiform, or narrowly paniculiform arrays.

(1–)4–20(–50) in corymbiform or paniculiform arrays.

Cypselae

subcylindric, 2.5–5.5 mm, 4-angled, faces often sericeous or nearly glabrous;

pappi tawny, 6.5–8.5 mm.

oblong, 3.5–4.5 mm, 4-angled, faces striate, sericeous;

pappi tawny, 5–7 mm.

Pyrrocoma racemosa

Pyrrocoma lanceolata

Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; CO; ID; MT; ND; NE; NV; OR; TX; UT; WY; AB; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 5 (5 in the flora).

Pyrrocoma racemosa is generally recognized by its erect stems, tufted leaves, and few to many heads in elongate, racemiform or spiciform arrays. It is the most variable species of Pyrrocoma, with numerous named varieties and subspecies. R. A. Mayes (1976) suggested that P. racemosa is closely related to the small-headed, racemiform species P. uniflora, P. apargioides, and P. lucida. The varieties are intergrading, making them somewhat difficult to identify.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Pyrrocoma lanceolata has the widest range of any species and exhibits much variability in habit and head size. A number of infraspecific taxa have been recognized in the past; only two were retained by R. A. Mayes (1976).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Involucres 10–15 mm
→ 2
1. Involucres 5–9 mm
→ 3
2. Stems villous; basal leaf blades lanceolate; phyllaries densely villous
var. pinetorum
2. Stems usually glabrous, rarely tomentulose; basal leaf blades oblanceolate to elliptic; phyllaries glabrous
var. racemosa
3. Arrays narrowly paniculiform, racemiform, or spiciform, heads crowded only distally
var. paniculata
3. Arrays usually glomerate-spiciform, heads crowded
→ 4
4. Involucre 12–16 mm wide; phyllaries yellowish green, apices erect, faces sparsely tomentose at least proximally
var. congesta
4. Involucre 5–7 mm wide; phyllaries with pale chartaceous bases, apices recurved, green, faces glabrous
var. sessiliflora
1. Stems glabrous or sparsely tomentulose, eglandular
var. lanceolata
1. Stems tomentulose, densely stipitate-glandular, especially peduncles
var. subviscosa
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 421. FNA vol. 20, p. 419.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Pyrrocoma Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Pyrrocoma
Sibling taxa
P. apargioides, P. carthamoides, P. clementis, P. crocea, P. hirta, P. insecticruris, P. integrifolia, P. lanceolata, P. liatriformis, P. linearis, P. lucida, P. radiata, P. uniflora
P. apargioides, P. carthamoides, P. clementis, P. crocea, P. hirta, P. insecticruris, P. integrifolia, P. liatriformis, P. linearis, P. lucida, P. racemosa, P. radiata, P. uniflora
Subordinate taxa
P. racemosa var. congesta, P. racemosa var. paniculata, P. racemosa var. pinetorum, P. racemosa var. racemosa, P. racemosa var. sessiliflora
P. lanceolata var. lanceolata, P. lanceolata var. subviscosa
Synonyms Homopappus racemosus, Haplopappus racemosus Donia lanceolata, Haplopappus lanceolatus
Name authority (Nuttall) Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 2: 244. (1842) (Hooker) Greene: Erythea 2: 69. (1894)
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