''Ericameria cuneata'' is a species of flowering shrub in the family Asteraceae known by the common name cliff goldenbush. This plant is native to the

southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, Ne ...

( California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico) and northwestern Mexico ( Baja California). ''Ericameria cuneata'' grows on cliffs, mountainsides, and rocky hillsides. It is a small, glandular

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

sometimes reaching as much as 100 cm (40 inches) in height. Its wavy-edged leaves are rounded and oval-shaped, often with visible resin glands, and up to 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) long. Atop each of the many erect branches is an inflorescence of several golden yellow

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 ...

, each with few or up to 70 disc florets and sometimes a few short ray florets.Flora of North America, ''Ericameria cuneata'' (A. Gray) McClatchie
/ref>Gray, Asa 1873. Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 8: 635–636
description in Latin, commentary in English, as ''Aplopappus cuneatus'' ;Varieties *''Ericameria cuneata'' var. ''cuneata'' - California *''Ericameria cuneata'' var. ''macrocephala'' Urbatsch - San Diego County in California *''Ericameria cuneata'' var. ''spathulata'' (A.Gray) H.M.Hall - California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Baja California

References

External links

Jepson Manual TreatmentUnited States Department of Agriculture Plants ProfileCalphotos Photo gallery, University of California
* cuneata Flora of the Southwestern United States Flora of California Flora of Baja California Flora of the California desert regions Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of the Colorado Desert Natural history of the Mojave Desert Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges Natural history of the Transverse Ranges Plants described in 1873 Taxa named by Asa Gray Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Astereae-stub