Western Snakeroot, Western Eupatorium
Ageratina occidentalis
(formerly Eupatorium occidentale)
The photo above shows a nice mass of western eupatorium as seen from the slopes of a small gravel pit alongside the road to Cloud Cap Inn on the northeast side of Mt. Hood.....................August 2, 2007.
Characteristics:
Western eupatorium is a rhizomatous perennial. It has several
stems which rise from a woody base. The plant may arise to a height of 70 cm.
The leaves are alternate, and occasionally opposite. The leaves are petiolate,
serrate, and are narrowly to widely deltoid, or deltoid ovate. The flower heads
are small, clustered primarily at the end of the stems. The flowers are pink,
reddish-purple, or sometimes white. Nine to twentyone disc flowers are found
in each head.
Habitat:
Western eupatorium is a plant of dry, rocky areas.
Range:
Western eupatorium is found from central Washington south (east
of the Cascades) to California, and eastward into Idaho and Utah.
The photo above shows a close-up sideview of the inflorescence of western eupatorium as seen from the slopes of a small gravel pit alongside the road to Cloud Cap Inn on the northeast side of Mt. Hood.....................August 2, 2007.
The photo above shows a close-up sideview of the inflorescence and upper stem leaves of western eupatorium as seen from the slopes of a small gravel pit alongside the road to Cloud Cap Inn on the northeast side of Mt. Hood.....................August 2, 2007.
Paul Slichter