Pyrrocoma lanceolata
Lance-leaved goldenweed, Lance-Leaved Goldenweed
(c) Tim Messick, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tim Messick · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Pyrrocoma lanceolata (Lance-leaved goldenweed) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family.
Lance-leaved goldenweed is a California native perennial found in western mountain ranges at elevations up to 1,800 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces bright yellow flowers in dense clusters with ray flowers 6 to 12 millimeters long. Growing with erect stems 15 to 50 centimeters tall, it has a distinctive appearance with proximally short tomentose stems that become more glabrous toward the top. Its leaves are lance-shaped, with basal leaves up to 30 centimeters long and deeply dentate, while stem leaves become progressively smaller and sessile. The fruit is approximately 4 millimeters long, silky, and four-angled with a tan pappus.
How to tell it apart
vs Heterotheca: Pyrrocoma has 3-4 angled fruits and prominent basal rosette; Heterotheca has round fruits.; vs Solidago: Pyrrocoma grows from stout taproot with basal rosette in alpine areas; Solidago lacks prominent basal rosette.; vs Xanthisma: Pyrrocoma has 3-4 angled fruits from basal rosette; Xanthisma has round fruits and branched stems.; vs Tonestus: Pyrrocoma has variable hairiness (smooth to woolly); Tonestus is always sticky-glandular.; vs Petradoria: Pyrrocoma grows in alpine areas with angled fruits; Petradoria is desert-only with phyllaries in vertical ranks.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pyrrocoma lanceolata native to California?
Yes. Pyrrocoma lanceolata is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Pyrrocoma lanceolata belong to?
Pyrrocoma lanceolata is in the Asteraceae family, genus Pyrrocoma.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Pyrrocoma lanceolata var. lanceolata — Intermountain pyrrocoma
- Pyrrocoma lanceolata var. subviscosa — Lanceleaf goldenweed
- Pyrrocoma lucida — Sticky pyrrocoma
- Pyrrocoma racemosa — Clustered goldenweed
- Pyrrocoma racemosa var. congesta — Del norte pyrrocoma
- Pyrrocoma racemosa var. paniculata — Clustered goldenweed
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.