[Members of the Sunflower Family with Discoid Flower Heads East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]
Columbia Cutleaf, Fineleaf Hymenopappus, Low-tufted Hymenopappus
Hymenopappus filifolius var. filifolius
Synonym: Hymenopapus gloriosus
The photo above shows the basal leaves and lower stem of low-tufted hymenopappus as seen from along Highway 243 on the north shore of the Columbia River near Priest Rapids Dam
in central Washington.............April 30, 2007. The plants at this location were still about a week or so away from blooming at this date.
The photo at right shows a close-up of the discoid flower head of low-tufted hymenopappus with visiting (or pollinating?) fly as seen from along Oregon Highway #207 about one mile northwest of Mitchell, OR............May 28, 2007.
Characteristics:
Low-tufted hymenopappus has several erect stems arising from a woody base to reach a height of 10-90 cm. The leaves are woolly, few, and pinnately cleft. the leaflets are linear or almost needle-like. The stem leaves become reduced in size and number on climbing the stem.
The inflorescence is often a corymb. The flower heads are few, discoid, and scattered about the plant. The flower heads are yellow to pink.
Habitat:
Low-tufted hymenopappus is a wildflower of d ry open habitats, frequently in sand or gravel in the lowlands and foothills.
Low-tufted hymenopappus as seen from the north shore of the Columbia River near the Vernita Bridge
(Hwy 243) in central Washington..............May 10, 1997.
Range:
Low-tufted hymenopappus may be found east of the Cascade Mountains from central Washington south to Baja California,
and eastward to the Great Plains and south to Texas.
The photo above shows a close-up of the discoid flower head of low-tufted hymenopappus with visiting (or pollinating?) fly as seen from along Oregon Highway #207 about one mile northwest of Mitchell, OR.................May 28, 2007.
- 
Additional photos of Columbia cutleaf as seen along Oregon Highway 218 about one mile east of Clarno, OR..............May 14, 2010.
Low-tufted hymenopappus from the north shore of the Columbia River near the Vernita Bridge (Hwy 243) in central Washington...............May 10, 1997.
Paul Slichter