''Hulsea vestita'' is a species of flowering plant in the family

Asteraceae 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 name pumice alpinegold. It is native to eastern and southern

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, where various subspecies grow in separate mountain ranges from the High Sierra to the

Transverse Ranges The Transverse Ranges are a group of mountain ranges of southern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region in North America. The Transverse Ranges begin at the southern end of the California Coast Ranges and lie within Santa B ...

and

Peninsular Ranges The Peninsular Ranges (also called the Lower California province) are a group of mountain ranges that stretch from Southern California to the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Coast Ranges, which ...

, and

Madrean Sky Islands The Madrean Sky Islands are enclaves of Madrean pine–oak woodlands, found at higher elevations in a complex of small mountain ranges in southern and southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northwestern Mexico. The sky islands are sur ...

in the

Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily in ...

. One subspecies (''Hulsea vestita'' ssp. ''inyoensis'') also occurs in western

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

.Calflora taxon report, University of California: ''Hulsea vestita'' (pumice alpinegold)
. accessed 2.2.2013 The plant can generally be found on the talus of mountain slopes, often in soils of volcanic origin.

Description

''Hulsea vestita'' is a perennial herb growing a basal patch of thick leaves and stems up to a meter (40 inches) tall, but generally much shorter. The woolly, spoon-shaped leaves are gray-green and may have ruffled edges.Flora of North America, ''Hulsea vestita'' A. Gray, 1865. Pumice alpinegold
/ref> The thick

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 ...

have glandular, hairy green

phyllaries In botanical terminology, a phyllary, also known an involucral bract or tegule, is a single bract of the involucre of a composite flower. The involucre is the grouping of bracts together. Phyllaries are reduced leaf-like structures that form one or ...

. The center of the daisylike head contains many long golden disc florets and a fringe of golden to reddish ray florets up to 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) long. ;Subspecies

Subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of ''Hulsea vestita'' include: * ''Hulsea vestita'' ssp. ''callicarpha'' (beautiful hulsea) —

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

* ''Hulsea vestita'' ssp. ''gabrielensis'' (San Gabriel Mtns. sunflower) —

San Gabriel Mountains The San Gabriel Mountains ( es, Sierra de San Gabriel) are a mountain range located in northern Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range is part of the Tr ...

, other Transverse Ranges. * ''Hulsea vestita'' ssp. ''inyoensis'' (Inyo hulsea, pumice alpinegold) —

Inyo Mountains The Inyo Mountains are a short mountain range east of the Sierra Nevada in eastern California in the United States. The range separates the Owens Valley to the west from Saline Valley to the east, extending for approximately south-southeast fro ...

, Death Valley N.P. ranges, and others in Inyo/Mono Counties & W. Nevada. * ''Hulsea vestita'' ssp. ''parryi'' (Parry's alpinegold) —

San Bernardino Mountains The San Bernardino Mountains are a high and rugged mountain range in Southern California in the United States. Situated north and northeast of San Bernardino and spanning two California counties, the range tops out at at San Gorgonio Mountain � ...

, other Transverse & Peninsular ranges, Sierras. * ''Hulsea vestita'' ssp. ''pygmaea'' (pygmy alpinegold) — San Bernardino Mnts, Southern Sierras. * ''Hulsea vestita'' ssp. ''vestita'' (pumice alpinegold) — Sierras, east Transverse ranges.Calflora taxon report, University of California: ''Hulsea vestita'' ssp. ''vestita''
/ref>

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment — ''Hulsea vestita''USDA Plants Profile: ''Hulsea vestita'' (pumice alpinegold)''Hulsea vestita'' — Calphotos Photo gallery, University of California
vestita Flora of California Flora of Nevada Plants described in 1865 Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Madieae-stub