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hybrid mule's ears, mule-ears

Arizona mule-ears

Habit Plants 20–30(–100) cm.
Basal leaves

blades elliptic or lance-elliptic to lanceolate, 12–30 cm, margins entire, not ciliate, faces usually ± hirsutulous or scabrellous, sometimes glabrate;

cauline leaves mostly smaller, narrower, distal-most usually petiolate, rarely sessile and clasping.

Involucres

turbinate to hemispheric, 18–25+ mm diam.

Ray florets

11–12;

laminae (25–)35–50 mm (abaxially hirsutulous).

Phyllaries

16–34, subequal, ± herbaceous, margins ciliate, faces glabrous or strigillose to hispidulous;

outer 18–22(–30) mm (not or seldom surpassing discs).

Heads

borne singly or 2–4+ in ± corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

9–10 mm, glabrous.

2n

= 38.

Wyethia ×cusickii

Wyethia arizonica

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Meadows, openings in pine, oak, or spruce-fir forests
Elevation 600–2200(–3000) m (2000–7200(–9800) ft)
Distribution
from USDA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

At the northern margin of the range, glabrate plants with the general habit of Wyethia arizonica (introgressants with W. amplexicaulis) exhibit greater frost-hardiness (a characteristic of W. amplexicaulis) than do other members of the species.

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

Source FNA vol. 21, p. 103.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Ecliptinae > Wyethia
Sibling taxa
W. amplexicaulis, W. angustifolia, W. arizonica, W. glabra, W. helenioides, W. helianthoides, W. longicaulis, W. mollis
W. amplexicaulis, W. angustifolia, W. glabra, W. helenioides, W. helianthoides, W. longicaulis, W. mollis
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 8: 655. (1873)
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