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cluster goldenweed, racemose pyrrocoma

sticky goldenweed, sticky pyrrocoma

Habit Plants 20–75 cm. Plants 20–75 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.

1–5, erect, glabrous, gland-dotted, resinous.

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 petiolate, blades lanceolate or oblanceolate, 50–250 × 7–30 mm, margins sharply serrate, ciliate, apices acute;

cauline sessile, blades lanceolate, 30–100 × 5–15 mm;

faces glabrous, gland-dotted.

Peduncles

0–2 cm.

0–1 cm.

Involucres

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

campanulate, 9–14 × 6–13 mm.

Ray florets

7–28;

corollas 5–12 mm.

12–20;

corollas 7–13 mm.

Disc florets

20–65;

corollas 5–8 mm.

25–40;

corollas 6–10 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 2–3 series, loose, linear or lanceolate, 7–13 mm, unequal, bases chartaceous, margins entire, eciliate, apices green, acute to acuminate or caudate, faces glabrous, gland-dotted.

Heads

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

12–30 in crowded, glomerate, spiciform arrays.

Cypselae

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

pappi tawny, 6.5–8.5 mm.

subcylindric, 2.5–4 mm, 4-angled, faces striate, silky;

pappi tawny to brownish, 5–7.5 mm.

2n

= 24.

Pyrrocoma racemosa

Pyrrocoma lucida

Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat Alkaline grassy flats, sagebrush scrub, openings in pine forests
Elevation 700–1600 m (2300–5200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[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.)

Pyrrocoma lucida is recognized by its gland-dotted, resinous herbage, small heads in glomerate-spiciform arrays, and acuminate-caudate phyllaries. This tetraploid species appears to be closely related to P. racemosa (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
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 421. FNA vol. 20, p. 421.
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. liatriformis, P. linearis, 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 racemosus subsp. lucidus, Haplopappus lucidus
Name authority (Nuttall) Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 2: 244. (1842) (D. D. Keck) Kartesz & Gandhi: Phytologia 71: 60. (1991)
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