[The Genus Ivesia East of the Cascade Mts. of Oregon and Washington]

Golden Ivesia, Bear's Ivesia

Ivesia gordonii var. ursinorum

Synonym: Horkelia gordonii

Bear's ivesia as seen along the South Loop Road about one mile downhill from the East Rim Viewpoint, Steens Mountain........September 2, 2011.

Characteristics:

Golden Ivesia is a ground hugging perennial. The basal leaves are numerous, radiating out from the central taproot. The herbage varies from slightly to strongly glandular hairy. The basal leaves are typically 2-7 cm long and they are pinnately compound, with more than 20 leaflets, which are deeply divided into 3-5 obovate segments (See photo below.). The flower stems are 5-15 cm tall and one reduced stem leaf is common.

The flowers are small (smaller than a dime) and yellow in color. The 5 petals are each about 2/3 to about equal in size to the sepals, and each is obovate to spatulate in shape.

Habitat:

Golden Ivesia is found in rocky alpine and subalpine ridges, and in talus slopes. It is also found along flood plains and riverbanks at lower elevations.

Range:

Golden Ivesia is found scattered through the Washington Cascades, and from the Blue and Wallowa Mts of eastern Washington and Oregon east to western Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and into northeast Colorado. It extends south through south-central Oregon to northern California.

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Close-up photos of the flowers and leaves of bear's ivesia as seen along the South Loop Road about one mile downhill from the East Rim Viewpoint, Steens Mountain........September 2, 2011.

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Bear's ivesia as seen along the South Loop Road about one mile downhill from the East Rim Viewpoint, Steens Mountain........July 9, 2014.

Bear's ivesia as seen along the trail from the Steens Mountain summit down to Wildhorse Lake, Harney County, Oregon...........July 10, 2014.

Bear's ivesia as seen beginning to bloom atop the western ridgeline of Light Pk about 200 meters east of Drakes Lookout, Fremont-Winema National Forest........Jun3 29, 2019.

Bear's ivesia still in bloom along the South Loop Road about one mile downhill to the west of the East Rim Viewpoint, Steens Mountain.........September 20, 2015.

Paul Slichter