Wyethia

Nuttall

J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 7: 39, plate 5. 1834.

Common names: Mules-ears
Etymology: For Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth, 1802–1856, early western American explorer
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 21. Treatment on page 100. Mentioned on page 65, 66.

Perennials, 15–60(–100) cm (taproots relatively massive; caudices seldom branched). Stems erect (or bending erect from bases), branched mostly from bases. Leaves basal and cauline; alternate; usually petiolate (basal), sometimes sessile; blades (usually pinnately nerved, basal larger than cauline) ± deltate, elliptic-ovate, lanceolate, lance-elliptic, lance-linear, or oblong-ovate, bases truncate to cuneate, margins usually entire, rarely dentate to serrate (sometimes ciliate), faces glabrous or hairy (sometimes gland-dotted or finely stipitate-glandular). Heads radiate, borne singly or 2–5(–8+) in ± corymbiform to racemiform arrays. Involucres hemispheric to campanulate or turbinate, 12–60+ mm diam. Phyllaries persistent, 12–36(–48) in 2–3+ series (subequal to unequal, outer sometimes foliaceous, much larger than inner). Receptacles flat to convex, paleate (paleae conduplicate, at least bases, papery). Ray florets 5–25+, pistillate, fertile; corollas mostly yellow (cream to white in W. helianthoides). Disc florets 35–150+, bisexual, fertile; corollas yellow, tubes much shorter than cylindric throats; lobes 5, ± deltate to lanceolate (style branches stigmatic in 2 barely distinct lines, appendages ± filiform). Cypselae ± prismatic, weakly 3–4-angled (faces glabrous or hairy); pappi 0, or persistent, coroniform (usually lacerate) or of 1–4+ ovate to subulate, erose to lacerate (often basally connate) scales. x = 19.

Distribution

w North America.

Discussion

Species 8 (8 in the flora).

Some species formerly included in Wyethia are here treated in Agnorhiza and Scabrethia. Balsamorhiza is closely related to Wyethia.

Key

1 Involucres 35–60+ mm diam.; outer phyllaries (30–)40–80+ mm (± foliaceous, much surpassing discs) > 2
1 Involucres 10–30(–40) mm diam.; outer phyllaries 15–30(–40) mm (not foliaceous, seldom surpassing discs) > 3
2 Leaf blades: faces glabrous or finely stipitate-glandular, sometimes sparsely pilosulous as well (usually shining); cypselae 10–13 mm Wyethia glabra
2 Leaf blades: faces densely tomentose to tomentulose (usually gland-dotted as well), glabrescent; cypselae 12–15 mm Wyethia helenioides
3 Leaf blades: faces tomentose to tomentulose (at least when young, glabrescent, usuallygland-dotted) Wyethia mollis
3 Leaf blades: faces glabrous, glabrate, hirsute, hirsutulous, hirtellous, pilose, pilosulous, scabrellous, or strigillose (not tomentose to tomentulose, often gland-dotted or stipitate-glandular) > 4
4 Leaf blades: faces glabrous or glabrate (gland-dotted); phyllary margins not ciliate; cypselae glabrous > 5
4 Leaf blades: faces usually hirsute, hirsutulous, hirtellous, pilose, pilosulous, scabrellous, or strigillose (sometimes vernicose, rarely finely stipitate-glandular or gland-dotted), sometimes glabrate; phyllary margins ± ciliate; cypselae strigillose or glabrous > 6
5 Basal leaves: blades lance-elliptic or oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate; rays 8–21(–25), laminae 25–60 mm; cypselae 8–9 mm Wyethia amplexicaulis
5 Basal leaves: blades narrowly oblong-lanceolate to lance-linear; rays 5–8+, lami-nae 18–30 mm; cypselae 6–8 mm Wyethia longicaulis
6 Basal leaves: blades lanceolate to lance-linear; cypselae 7–8 mm, ± strigillose Wyethia angustifolia
6 Basal leaves: blades elliptic-ovate, lanceolate, or lance-elliptic; cypselae 9–11 mm, strigillose or glabrous > 7
7 Phyllaries 36–48; rays 13–25, laminae (cream to white) 25–45 mm; cypselae strigillose distally and on margins Wyethia helianthoides
7 Phyllaries 16–34; rays 11–12, laminae (yellow) 25–50 mm; cypselaeglabrous Wyethia arizonica
... more about "Wyethia"
William A. Weber +
Nuttall +
Mules-ears +
w North America. +
For Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth, 1802–1856, early western American explorer +
J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia +
weber1946a +
Undefined (tribe Undefined) subtribe Enceliinae +, Undefined (tribe Undefined) subtribe Engelmanniinae +, Undefined (tribe Undefined) subtribe Spilanthinae +, Undefined (tribe Undefined) subtribe Verbesininae +  and Undefined (tribe Undefined) subtribe Zinniinae +
Wyethia +
Asteraceae (tribe Heliantheae) subtribe Ecliptinae +