Also known as dwarf mountain fleabane, golden fleabane is an attractive, low growing mat plant, with many erect stems from 3-15 cm high capped with a single flower head. The herbage consists of numerous spreading hairs on the stems and leaves. The leaves are narrowly oblanceolate and mostly basal.
The flower heads are yellow, and may be with or without ray flowers. If rayless, as in variety austiniae, 20-60 female flowers are present as disk flowers. The involucre is 4-7.5 mm high and covered with spreading hairs, some of which may be glandular. The disk itself ranges from 9-17 mm wide.
This species flowers from May into July.
variety austiniae: Ray flowers either lacking or very short.
variety brevifolius: Ray flowers present. Plants smaller with more compact habit and may have partly appressed pubescence. Found at high altitude in the Wallowa Mts.
variety chrysopsidis: Ray flowers present. Plants more robust with spreading hairs as seen above. Generally found at lower altitudes than variety brevifolius and this variety is more widespread.
Dwarf mountain fleabane is found in dry, open places, often with sagebrush. It may be found between the elevations of 800-2600 meters.
Dwarf mountain fleabane may be found from eastern Washington south through central Oregon to northern California, east Twin Falls, Idaho and northeast Nevada.
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Golden fleabane as seen at the end of FS Road 38-200 about one-half mile from Spanish Peak, Ochoco National Forest.........June 17, 2019.
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