Pyrrocoma uniflora var. gossypina
Bear valley pyrrocoma, Bear Valley Pyrrocoma
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Steve Matson · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2
Pyrrocoma uniflora var. gossypina (Bear valley pyrrocoma) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by NONE sympatric - geographically isolated in San Bernardino Mountains.
Bear valley pyrrocoma is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in the San Bernardino Mountains near Baldwin Lake in meadows, seeps, and stony slopes at elevations of 1,600 to 2,300 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces yellow flowers in large involucres 10 to 13 centimeters wide with unequal phyllaries. Growing with woolly-tufted herbage, it forms distinctive compact clusters with soft, dense white-woolly stems. Its leaves are covered in a dense, cotton-like woolly texture that gives the plant a distinctive silvery-white appearance. The plant's unique woolly growth and high-elevation habitat make it a remarkable specimen of the mountain flora of the San Bernardino region.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: NONE sympatric - geographically isolated in San Bernardino Mountains.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Meadows and seeps, stony slopes
Elevation: 1600-2300 m
Bloom period
Pyrrocoma uniflora var. gossypina blooms Jul-Sep.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.2
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 uniflora var. gossypina native to California?
Yes. Pyrrocoma uniflora var. gossypina is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Pyrrocoma uniflora var. gossypina bloom?
Pyrrocoma uniflora var. gossypina blooms Jul-Sep.
What plant family does Pyrrocoma uniflora var. gossypina belong to?
Pyrrocoma uniflora var. gossypina is in the Asteraceae family, genus Pyrrocoma.
Is Pyrrocoma uniflora var. gossypina rare or endangered?
Pyrrocoma uniflora var. gossypina carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, state rank S1.
What habitat does Pyrrocoma uniflora var. gossypina grow in?
Pyrrocoma uniflora var. gossypina grows in Meadows and seeps, stony slopes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Pyrrocoma uniflora var. uniflora — Plantain goldenweed
- Pyrrocoma apargioides — Alpine flames
- Pyrrocoma carthamoides var. cusickii — Large-flowered goldenweed
- Pyrrocoma hirta — Tacky goldenweed
- Pyrrocoma hirta var. hirta — Sticky pyrrocoma
- Pyrrocoma hirta var. lanulosa — Tacky goldenweed
- Rafinesquia californica — California chicory
- Rafinesquia neomexicana — Desert chicory
- Rafinesquia sp.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.