Pyrrocoma lanceolata (Lance-Leaved Pyrrocoma) - photos and description
One plant in the above photo
Basal leaf in above photo
Stem leaf in above photo
Origin: Native.
General: Perennials growing from a taproot and having many decumbent, leafy stems. Upper stems pubescent, lower stems glabrous.
Flowers: Flower heads are arranged in racemes or panicles, we counted up to 20 flower heads on a stem, and observed that 3 to 5 heads per stem is typical. Flower heads were measured at 3 cm diameter. The involucre is imbricate in 2 or 3 series, bracts are sharp-pointed, light green at their base and dark green at their apex. We measured the involucre to 11 cm long, and a bract at 3 mm long.
Leaves: Basal leaves lanceolate and having long petioles, the basal leaf highlighted in the photo above was 18 cm long (including the petiole) and 23 mm wide. Stem leaves are alternate, clasp the stem and are lanceolate, we measured a stem leaf at 3.5 cm long by 1 cm wide. Stem and basal leaves are spinose, and have a white stripe down the middle. Upper leaves are sparsely hairy, lower leaves are glabrous.
Height: Height listed in Budd's Flora to 40 cm, I measured plants to 38 cm tall.
Habitat: Habitat is listed as moist saline meadows, we've found this plant a few times only on the shoulders of roads in southwest Saskatchewan.
Abundance: Fairly common ranked as an S4 by the Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre.
Synonym: Listed in some of the field guides we use as Haplopappus lanceolatus.
Similar species: This plant looks very similar to Gumweed (Grindella squarrosa). Both plants produce numerous yellow flowerheads about the same size with an imbricate involucre, and share the same habitat. However, the involucre for Grindella squarrosa is very sticky, while the involucre for Pyrrocoma lanceolata is not sticky.
When and where photographed: Above photos taken July 21st, roadside on a steep slope in the Frenchman River Valley about 400 km southwest of our home in Regina, SK.