The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

cluster goldenweed, racemose pyrrocoma

Palouse goldenweed, smallhead goldenweed

Habit Plants 20–75 cm. Plants 25–70 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.

1–3, erect, sometimes curved-ascending, sparsely villous to tomentose, eglandular.

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 to oblanceolate, 80–310 × 9–30 mm, margins entire or undulate, ciliate;

cauline sessile, blades lanceolate, 30–120 × 5–20 mm;

faces sparsely tomentose, eglandular.

Peduncles

0–2 cm.

0–3 cm.

Involucres

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

campanulate, 10–23 × 12–20 mm (in axils of leafy bract).

Ray florets

7–28;

corollas 5–12 mm.

17–25;

corollas 6–14.5 mm.

Disc florets

20–65;

corollas 5–8 mm.

35–60;

corollas 7–11 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 4–5 series, green, lanceolate, 5–12 mm, unequal, margins entire, ciliate, apices acute, faces villous.

Heads

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

4–12 in open, racemiform arrays.

Cypselae

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

pappi tawny, 6.5–8.5 mm.

narrowly oblong, 4.5–6.5 mm, 4-angled, faces striate, villous;

pappi tawny, 5.8–8 mm.

2n

= 36.

Pyrrocoma racemosa

Pyrrocoma liatriformis

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Prairies, roadsides
Elevation 700–1100 m (2300–3600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; WA
[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.)

Of conservation concern.

Pyrrocoma liatriformis is one of the dominants of virgin Palouse prairies and appears to be threatened. It is recognized by its hirsute stems, leaves, and phyllaries, and the small, pedunculate heads.

(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
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 421. FNA vol. 20, p. 420.
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. lanceolata, 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
Synonyms Homopappus racemosus, Haplopappus racemosus Haplopappus integrifolius subsp. liatriformis, Haplopappus integrifolius subsp. scaberulus, Haplopappus liatriformis, Haplopappus racemosus subsp. liatriformis
Name authority (Nuttall) Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 2: 244. (1842) Greene: Leafl. Bot. Observ. Crit. 2: 17. (1909)
Web links