Hulsea vestita subsp. inyoensis

Inyo hulsea, Inyo Hulsea

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2

Inyo hulsea is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native perennial found in the northern Desert Mountains and eastern Sierra Nevada in open gravel and talus slopes of pinyon and juniper woodland at elevations of 1,700 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces bright yellow ray flowers 12 to 18 millimeters long with distinctive green-tipped phyllary bracts. Growing less than 70 centimeters tall, it forms compact plants with uniquely structured leaves where the leaf stalks are notably longer than the leaf blades themselves. Its basal leaves are distinctively lobed, abruptly tapered, and covered in dense woolly hair on the undersides, creating a soft, textured appearance. The plant's compact growth and yellow flowers make it a striking component of high desert and mountain slope environments.

Habitat: Open gravel, talus slopes, pinyon/juniper woodland

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 1700-3000 m

Bioregions: SNE, n DMtns

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