About Heterotheca oregona (Nutt.) Shinners
Heterotheca oregona (Nutt.) Shinners grows in low-elevation mountain forests and chaparral, most often near water. It is a variable perennial herb with four somewhat indistinct varieties. The plant reaches a maximum height between 20 centimeters (8 inches) and one meter (40 inches), and its surface is covered in small bristles. Its inflorescence holds 1 to 15 flower heads arranged in a flat-topped cluster. Each flower head contains 14 to 60 yellowish disc florets and produces no ray florets. The fruit produced is an achene topped with a long grayish pappus. Four varieties are recognized: Heterotheca oregona var. compacta (D.D.Keck) Semple, found from Monterey County to Siskiyou County; Heterotheca oregona var. oregona, found in Washington, Oregon, and California as far south as Monterey County; Heterotheca oregona var. rudis (Greene) Semple, found in Oregon and California as far south as San Benito County and Amador County; and Heterotheca oregona var. scaberrima (A.Gray) Semple, found from Glenn County to San Luis Obispo County.
