Arnica ovata

Sticky leaf arnica

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Sticky leaf arnica is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, Cascade Range Highlands, and Sierra Nevada Highlands in grassy or rocky conifer forest sites at elevations of 1,800 to 3,600 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces yellow ray flowers 15 to 20 millimeters long with radiate heads. Growing 1 to 5 decimeters tall with 1 to several unbranched stems from a short, freely rooting rhizome, it develops a distinctive glandular-hairy texture. Its cauline leaves occur in 2 to 3 pairs, with middle leaves 4 to 8 centimeters long, elliptic to widely deltate in shape and irregularly toothed. The fruit is 5 to 7 millimeters long, sparsely covered in soft hairs with a straw-colored to brownish pappus.

Habitat: Uncommon. Grassy or wet, rocky sites, conifer forest

Bloom period: Jul-Sep

Elevation: 1800-3600 m

Bioregions: KR, CaRH, SNH

California counties: Nevada, Alpine, El Dorado, Tuolumne, Fresno, Mariposa, Siskiyou, Madera, Del Norte, Mono, Trinity, Shasta, Placer, Inyo

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