Pyrrocoma lucida

Sticky pyrrocoma

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Sticky pyrrocoma is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in northern Sierra Nevada Mountains in alkaline clay flats, sagebrush scrub, and open forest at elevations of 700 to 2,050 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces yellow ray flowers 7 to 14 millimeters long with crowded heads 12 to 30 millimeters in diameter. Growing with erect stems 25 to 75 centimeters tall that are glabrous and slightly shiny from gland-dots, it develops a distinctive clustered spike-like inflorescence. Its leaves are 1 to 25 centimeters long, oblanceolate and either entire or lightly serrated, arranged along the stem. The fruit is silky and 2.5 to 4 millimeters long with a tan to brownish pappus 5 to 7 millimeters in length.

Habitat: Alkaline clay flats, sagebrush scrub, open forest

Bloom period: Jul-Sep

Elevation: 700-2050 m

Bioregions: n SNH.

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