''Hymenoxys hoopesii'' (formerly ''Dugaldia hoopesii'') is a species of flowering plant in the
daisy family
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...
known by the common names owl's claws, orange sneezeweed, and yerba del lobo. It is native to the western United States, where it grows in habitats of moderate elevation, such as mountain meadows in the
Rocky Mountains,
Sierra Nevada
The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...
, southern
Cascade
Cascade, Cascades or Cascading may refer to:
Science and technology Science
*Cascade waterfalls, or series of waterfalls
* Cascade, the CRISPR-associated complex for antiviral defense (a protein complex)
* Cascade (grape), a type of fruit
* Bioc ...
s, and other ranges. It has been found from
Arizona,
New Mexico, and central
California north as far as
Montana and
Oregon.
''H. hoopesii'' is an erect perennial herb growing up to about 1 meter (40 inches) in height, with smooth-edged
leaves
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
up to long,
oval on the lower stem and lance-shaped toward the top. Blooming from July to September,
the
inflorescence bears several
flower heads
A pseudanthium (Greek for "false flower"; ) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, compos ...
on erect
peduncles, each lined with a base of hairy, pointed
phyllaries. The flower head is up to wide
and has a center of 100–325 tiny disc florets fringed with 14–26 orange or yellow ray florets, each ray up to long.
The fruit is an
achene
An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and indehiscent (they do not ope ...
with a
pappus of scales.
The species is toxic to livestock,
especially sheep. The pollen also causes an allergenic reaction, hence the common name 'sneezeweed'.
The root has been used medicinally to treat rheumatism, upset stomachs, and indigestion in infants.
References
External links
*
Jepson Manual Treatment, University of CaliforniaUnited States Department of Agriculture Plants ProfileCalphotos Photo gallery, University of California
Flora of the Western United States
hoopesii
Plants described in 1864
Flora without expected TNC conservation status
{{Asteroideae-stub