Packera pauciflora
Alpine groundsel
(c) Tim Messick, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tim Messick · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Packera pauciflora (Alpine groundsel) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by . Distinguished by discoid heads and high elevation habitat.
Alpine groundsel is a California native perennial found in the Sierra Nevada High and High Cascade Ranges in damp meadows and woodlands at elevations of 1,800 to 3,300 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces deep orange-yellow ray flowers with small heads arranged in compact clusters. Growing 20 to 40 centimeters tall with 1 to 3 clustered stems that are glabrous or nearly smooth, it emerges from a weakly spreading fibrous-rooted base. Its basal leaves are distinctively thick and firm, elliptic-ovate to nearly kidney-shaped, 2 to 4 centimeters long with toothed or scalloped edges, while lower stem leaves have deeply dissected margins. The flower heads feature deep red or green phyllaries with reddish tips, supporting 60 to 80 disk flowers.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 11 sympatric species. Distinguished by discoid heads and high elevation habitat.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Damp meadows, woodland
Elevation: 1800-3300 m
California counties: Mono, Inyo, Tulare, Fresno, Sierra, Tuolumne, Plumas, Alpine, Shasta, Nevada, Placer, Mariposa, Lassen, Amador
Outside California: Washington to Alaska, eastern Canada, also Wyoming
Bloom period
Packera pauciflora blooms Jul-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Senecio: Packera has green or red bract tips and fibrous roots; Senecio often has black bract tips and taproots.; vs Jacobaea: Packera is native with soft-toothed leaf margins; Jacobaea is non-native with harder-edged leaves.; vs Arnica: Packera has alternate leaves and many small heads; Arnica has opposite leaves and fewer large heads.; vs Eriophyllum: Packera has green leaves with soft hairs; Eriophyllum has densely woolly gray-white leaves.; vs Eriogonum: Packera has yellow daisy flowers; buckwheat has ball-like clusters of tiny pink/white/yellow flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Packera pauciflora native to California?
Yes. Packera pauciflora is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Packera pauciflora bloom?
Packera pauciflora blooms Jul-Aug.
Where in California does Packera pauciflora grow?
Packera pauciflora occurs in Mono, Inyo, Tulare, Fresno, Sierra, Tuolumne, Plumas, Alpine and other counties, at elevations of 1800-3300 m.
What plant family does Packera pauciflora belong to?
Packera pauciflora is in the Asteraceae family, genus Packera.
What habitat does Packera pauciflora grow in?
Packera pauciflora grows in Uncommon. Damp meadows, woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.