About Eriophyllum lanatum (Pursh) Forbes
Eriophyllum lanatum (Pursh) Forbes is a perennial herb that grows in well-branched clumps, reaching a height of 30 to 60 centimetres (12 to 24 inches). Both its stems and leaves may be covered in woolly gray hair, though some individual plants do not have this covering. The leaves are 2.5–7.5 cm (1–3 in) long; leaves on upper stems are linear, while leaves on lower stems are slender and pinnately lobed. The woolly hairs help conserve water by reflecting heat and reducing air movement across the leaf surface. The flowers are composite, yellow, and resemble true sunflowers, sometimes growing to around 5 cm (2 in) wide. Both the ray and disk flowers are yellow, with one flower head borne on each flowering stalk. Flower heads hold 6–14 rays that are darker toward their base, along with several disk flowers. This species blooms from May to August, and its seeds have scales at the tip. Eriophyllum lanatum is native to western North America. It is most common throughout California, and also grows north through Oregon into British Columbia, east through Idaho into Wyoming, and through Nevada into Utah. It has only been collected once from Mexico, on Guadalupe Island, and is most likely extirpated from that location. In California, it can be found in chaparral, oak woodland, mixed evergreen forest, yellow pine forest, other conifer forests, grassland, and sagebrush scrub habitats. It commonly grows in dry, open areas at elevations below 3,000 meters (10,000 feet). It prefers full sun and well-drained soil, and also grows on rocky slopes and bluffs.
