Arnica cernua

Serpentine arnica, serpentine arnica, serpentine arnica

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Serpentine arnica is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges on serpentine soils and conifer forests at elevations of 500 to 1,500 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces yellow ray flowers with disk florets in heads often nodding before blooming, typically 1 to 4 heads per plant. Growing 10 to 30 centimeters tall with generally unbranched stems, it has a distinctive growth pattern with 3 to 4 pairs of widely spaced cauline leaves. Its leaves are thick and often fleshy, ranging from obovate to heart-shaped, with a distinctive reddish tinge and nearly entire margins. The fruit is 6 to 8 millimeters long, covered with forked hairs and topped with a short white, slightly plumose pappus.

Habitat: Serpentine soils, conifer forest

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 500-1500 m

Bioregions: KR

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.