Arrowleaf Balsamroot - Balsamorhiza sagittata

 This bright yellow flower with wide, arrow-shaped leaves is Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata), a member of the Sunflower Family (Asteraceae). It grows below 10,000 feet on open, dry slopes and flats and blooms from May to July.

For more information on arrowleaf balsamroot, click here.

Jones' Fleabane - Erigeron jonesii

Lots of Erigeron are blooming, and we have 17 species in our area. This one is Jones' fleabane (Erigeron jonesii). It grows at mid-elevations in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada.

It has both ray and disk flowers.

The leaves are the distinguishing characteristics. Most are basal, but there are some on the stem. They are hairy. The basal leaves have three obvious nerves.

There's not much other info on Jones' fleabane on the Internet right now, but you can connect to the Plants Database description by clicking here.

Modoc Hawksbead - Crepis modocensis

 There are many dandelion-like plants blooming right now. Many are in the genus Crepis. These aren't the easiest to tell apart, but I believe that this one is Modoc hawksbeard (Crepis modocensis). (As always, if you know I've misidentified something, please leave a comment!) It grows at mid-elevations in western North America.

 The leaves and stems are hairy. The stem has little bristles coming off of it, which isn't well-captured in this photo.

 In the photo below, you can see the bristles well on the buds.

For more info about Modoc hawskbeard from Calflora, click here.

Rubber rabbitbrush-Ericameria nauseosa

This is a shrub many allergy-sufferers come to know all-to-well: rubber rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa previously Chrysothamnus nauseosus). It flowers in the late summer and early fall and is found throughout western North America.

There are lots of cool facts about rubber rabbitbrush, some of which you can find here.

Annual Psathyrotes-Psathyrotes annua

A sprinkling of color along the roadside caught my attention as I was walking, and I found what looked like (and is) a native plant, still blooming in mid-September. A closer look at the flowers determined that this is in the Sunflower Family (Asteraceae), and a bit of searching narrowed it down to annual Psathyrotes (Psathyrotes annua). Other common names are mealy rosettes, fanleaf, and annual turtleback. It grows in shadscale communities and is found only in a few western states.

For more info on annual psathyrotes, click here.

Common Sunflower-Helianthus annuus

You probably know this flower--the common sunflower (Helianthus annuus). It's native to the Americas and widespread. Flowers can be highly variable in this annual plant.

Young sunflowers display heliotropism--that is, they turn their heads to follow the sun throughout the day.

Sunflowers have been used to symbolize many things and have many uses, which are included in the link below.

I was delighted to see so many insects on the sunflowers, in particular this butterfly, a clouded sulphur (as best I can tell). With the yellowish tint, it's probably a male.
And the greener-tinged one is the female clouded sulphur. I saw thousands of sulphurs over an alfalfa field earlier in the summer, so it's neat to see what else they are feeding on.

For more info on common sunflower, click here.

Thorn Skeletonweed-Pleiacanthus spinosus

I haven't seen many new plants blooming lately, so when I saw this one today, I was quite excited. It's thorn skeletonweed (Pleiacanthis spinosus, previously Stephanomeria spinosa), also called spiny skeletonweed. The plant is a wiry clump of thin stems and thorns, so the pinkish flowers are a bit of a surprise. It grows in much of the western U.S. and likes semi-arid habitats.

It's in the Sunflower Family (Asteraceae), one of the few pink flowers in the family.

For more info on thorn skeletonweed, click here.

Jackson Hole Thistle-Cirsium subniveum

This prickly thistle grows from desert scrub up to the upper conifer forest. It's called Jackson Hole Thistle (Cirsium subniveum, also Greene's Thistle, Cirsium inamoenum by Flora of North America). Apparently the name confusion is partly due to some unresolved topics about this species. Sometimes plants can be funny like that. Despite botanists not being able to decide what to do with it, the Jackson Hole Thistle has decided to take up residence in many of the western states.

This is a view looking down on it.
The flowers can be white to lavender.
For more info on Jackson Hole Thistle, click here.

Arizona Thistle-Cirsium arizonicum

For me, many of the thistles can be quite confusing, but fortunately this one is easy to tell apart because it's the only native one in the area. It's Arizona thistle (Cirsium arizonicum), native to California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona.

It grows from 6,500 to 10,100 feet in this area, and at lower elevations elsewhere, and on open, dry slopes.
For more information about Arizona thistle, click here.

Slender Hawksbeard-Crepis atribarba

This dandelion-looking plant is slender hawksbeard (Crepis atribarba), part of the sunflower family (Asteraceae). It grows from 6,000 to 10,500 feet in this area, and is native to western North America. It has very narrow, pointed leaves.
For more information about slender hawksbeard, click here.

Rocky Mountain Pussytoes-Antennaria media

This high elevation member of the sunflower family (Asteraceae) is Rocky Mountain pussytoes (Antennaria media). It grows throughout western North America.
It can be distinguished from other pussytoes by the dark distal portions of the phyllaries.
For more info about Rocky Mountain pussytoes, click here.

Chamisso Arnica-Arnica chamissonis

These bright members of the Sunflower Family (Asteraceae) are Chamisso arnica (Arnica chamissonis), also known as leafy arnica. It's found throughout much of western and northern North America.

Leaves are opposite and the yellow flowerheads have 10-16 rays.

For more information about Chamisso arnica, click here.

Povertyweed-Iva axillaris

This fairly drab looking perennial plant that is common in disturbed areas is povertyweed (Iva axillaris), part of the Sunflower Family (Asteraceae). It grows from a network of creeping rootstocks and is generally about a foot high. The leaves are narrow and elliptical and about an inch long. The plant is native to western North America.

The flowers are green and found close to the stem at the axils of the upper leaves. Although only 1/4 inch wide, each flowerhead has 4-8 female flowers and 8-20 male flowers. The Native Americans used the plant for various ailments such as stomachaches.
For more information about povertyweed, click here.

Shaggy Fleabane-Erigeron pumilis

One of the most common fleabanes flowering right now is shaggy fleabane (Erigeron pumilis), also called low fleabane. Pumilis is Latin for dwarf. This fleabane rarely grows more than 10 inches tall.
Shaggy fleabane is found throughout western North America.
For more information about shaggy fleabane, click here.

Nuttall's Horsebrush-Tetradymia nuttallii

Decorating the lower foothills are bushes with bright yellow flowers. It's too early for rabbitbrush; these bushes are horsebrush (Tetradymia), also in the Sunflower Family (Asteraceae). We have four species in this area, and from what I can figure out, this one is Nuttall's horsebrush (Tetradymia nuttalli).

There are short thorns on the plant and it grows below 6,400 feet. It is found in Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado.

For more information about Nuttall's Horsebrush--there really isn't much on the Internet, click here to visit the USDA fire effects information website.

Desert Dandelion-Malacothrix torreyi

This bright yellow annual herb is desert dandelion (Malacothrix torreyi). It has mainly basal leaves that are pinnately lobed, and a reddish stem. It can grow 4 to 16 inches tall and is found throughout the western U.S.

For more information about desert dandelion, click here.

Bud Sagebrush-Picrothamnus desertorum

This small shrub at the lower elevations is bud sagebrush (Picrothamnus desertorum), previously called Artemisia spinescens. It is also known as budsage and is a member of the Sunflower Family (Asteraceae).

The flower heads are small and yellow, and because they flower as early as March, are often damaged by frost. The pollen causes allergies in some. The shrub is an important food source for upland game birds, other wildlife, and livestock.

For more information about bud sagebrush, click here.

Tufted Townsend Daisy-Townsendia scapigera

This attractive, low-lying daisy is tufted townsend daisy (Townsendia scapigera). It's found throughout the Great Basin, growing in openings in sagebrush.

For more information about tufted townsend daisy, click here.

Hoary Groundsel-Packera werneriifolia

This is a high elevation plant, hoary groundsel (Packera werneriifolia). It's a member of the Sunflower Family (Asteraceae). I took this photo early in the season (June 2009), so the ray flowers still hadn't emerged. The plant doesn't grow particularly tall due to the harsher alpine climate conditions.

For more information about hoary groundsel, click here.

Prickly Lettuce-Lactuca serriola

Another common weed around my house is prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola), a member of the Aster Family. It is native to Europe but now found through much of North America. It reproduces by seeds.

The flowers are yellow, with indentations on the ray flowers.

Each plant can have many flowers and even more seeds.

For more information about prickly lettuce, click here.