Arnica latifolia

Broadleaf arnica

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Broadleaf arnica is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges and central Sierra Nevada Mountains in meadows and open conifer forests at elevations of 1,800 to 2,400 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces yellow ray flowers 10 to 30 millimeters long in heads with 8 to 15 rays. Growing 1 to 5 decimeters tall with 1 to several unbranched stems emerging from a scaly caudex and long rhizomes, it develops an uneven soft-hairy and glandular appearance. Its leaves form basal rosettes and 2 to 4 pairs of cauline leaves, with middle leaves the largest, lance-elliptic to ovate, 2 to 10 centimeters long and generally toothed. The fruit is 5 to 9 millimeters long, covered in short or forked hairs, with a white short-barbed pappus.

Habitat: Meadows, open conifer forest to subalpine meadows

Bloom period: Jul-Aug

Elevation: 1800-2400 m

Bioregions: KR, c SNH

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