''Packera pseudaurea'' is a species of
flowering plant in the
aster family known by the common name falsegold groundsel. It is native to North America, where it can be found in western and central parts of Canada and the United States. It grows in mountain habitat such as meadows, streambanks, and woodlands.
It is a
perennial herb
In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...
producing usually one erect stem, sometimes a cluster of a few stems, up to about 70 centimeters in maximum height. The basal leaves have rounded, oval, or widely lance-shaped blades up to 10 centimeters long which are borne on very long
petioles. Leaves higher on the stem have no petioles, their bases clasping the stem. They are narrow and pointed with serrated edges. 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 ...
in a loose or dense, flat-topped array. Each head is full of yellow disc florets and most heads have several yellow ray florets, though some heads lack them.
There are three varieties of this species: var. ''flavula'' occupies a long strip of mountains from
Idaho to
New Mexico, var. ''semicordata'' is mainly limited to the upper Midwest region, and var. ''pseudaurea'' is distributed throughout the western part of the species' range.
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment: var. ''pseudaurea''USDA Plants ProfileFlora of North AmericaWashington Burke Museum
pseudaurea
Flora of Western Canada
Flora of the Western United States
Flora of California
Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States)
Flora of the Rocky Mountains
Flora without expected TNC conservation status
{{Senecioneae-stub