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Vascular Plants of California
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Eriophyllum ambiguum var. ambiguum
BEAUTIFUL WOOLLY SUNFLOWER


Higher Taxonomy
Family: Asteraceae (Compositae)View DescriptionDichotomous Key
Common Name: SUNFLOWER FAMILY
Habit: Annual to tree. Leaf: basal and/or cauline, alternate, opposite, rarely whorled, simple to 2+ × compound. Inflorescence: 1° inflorescence a head, resembling a flower, of several types (see below), 1--many in generally +- cyme-like cluster; each head generally with +- calyx-like involucre of 1--many series of phyllaries (involucre bracts); receptacle of head flat to conic or columnar, paleate (bearing paleae = receptacle bracts) or epaleate; flowers 1--many per head. Flower: bisexual, unisexual, or sterile, +- small, of several types (see below); calyx 0 or modified into +- persistent pappus of bristles, scales, and/or awns; corolla radial or bilateral (0), lobes generally (0)3--5; stamens 4--5, filaments generally free, generally fused to corolla at tube/throat junction, anthers generally fused into cylinder around style, anther base generally rounded or cordate (deeply sagittate or with tail-like appendages), tip (= flattened appendage) generally projecting beyond pollen sac; pistil 1, 2-carpeled, ovary inferior, 1-chambered, 1-seeded, placenta basal, style 1, tip generally +- 2-branched (except in some staminate disk flowers), branch tips truncate or generally bearing +- brush-like appendages; stigmas 2, generally on adaxial faces of style branches. Fruit: achene (also called a cypsela) (drupe in Chrysanthemoides), cylindric to ovoid, sometimes compressed, generally deciduous with pappus attached.
Genera In Family: +- 1500 genera, 23000 species: worldwide, many habitats. Note: Flower and head types differ in form and sexual condition. A disk flower has a generally radial corolla, with a cylindric tube, expanded throat, and generally 5 lobes. Disk flowers are generally bisexual and fertile but occasionally staminate with reduced ovaries. Discoid heads comprise only disk flowers. A radiant head is a variant of a discoid head, with peripheral disk flower corollas expanded, often bilateral. A ray flower corolla is bilateral, generally with a slender tube and flattened petal-like ray (single lip composed of generally 3 lobes). Ray flowers are generally pistillate or sterile (occasionally lacking styles). Radiate heads have peripheral ray flowers and central disk flowers. Disciform heads superficially resemble discoid heads, with pistillate or sterile flowers that lack rays, together with or separate from disk flowers. A ligulate flower is bisexual, with a bilateral, generally ephemeral corolla and 5-lobed ligule. Liguliflorous heads comprise only ligulate flowers. See glossary p. 31 for illustrations of family characteristics. Echinops sphaerocephalus L., Gaillardia aristata Pursh, Gaillardia pulchella Foug., Hymenothrix loomisii S.F. Blake, Tagetes erecta L., Thelesperma megapotamicum (Spreng.) Kuntze are waifs. Melampodium perfoliatum Kunth, historic urban waif. Ageratum conyzoides L., Guizotia abyssinica (L. f.) Cass., Santolina chamaecyparisus L., orth. var. are rare or uncommon escapes from cultivation. Dyssodia papposa, Ismelia carinata (Schousb.) Sch. Bip. [Chrysanthemum carinatum Schousb.], Mantisalca salmantica (L.) Briq. & Cavill. are historical or extirpated waifs in California. Inula helenium L. not documented in California. Taxa of Aster in TJM (1993) treated here in Almutaster, Doellingeria, Eurybia, Ionactis, Oreostemma, Sericocarpus, Symphyotrichum; Chamomilla in Matricaria; Bahia in Hymenothrix; Cnicus in Centaurea; Conyza in Erigeron and Laennecia; Dugaldia in Hymenoxys; Erechtites in Senecio; Hymenoclea in Ambrosia; Lembertia in Monolopia; Osteospermum ecklonis in Dimorphotheca; Picris echioides in Helminthotheca; Prionopsis in Grindelia; Raillardiopsis in Anisocarpus and Carlquistia; Schkuhria multiflora in Picradeniopsis; Trimorpha in Erigeron; Venidium in Arctotis; Viguiera in Aldama and Bahiopsis; Whitneya in Arnica. Amauriopsis in TJM2 (2012) treated here in Hymenothrix; Arida in Leucosyris; Bahia in Picradeniopsis; Eucephalus in Doellingeria.
Unabridged Note: Largest family of vascular plants in California and of eudicots globally.
eFlora Treatment Author: David J. Keil, except as noted
Scientific Editor: David J. Keil, Bruce G. Baldwin.
Genus: EriophyllumView DescriptionDichotomous Key

Common Name: WOOLLY SUNFLOWER
Habit: Annual to shrub, +- woolly. Leaf: generally alternate, proximal sometimes opposite, entire to nearly compound. Inflorescence: heads 1--many, generally radiate; often in +- flat-topped clusters; involucre obconic to hemispheric; phyllaries 4--13(15) in 1 series, free or +- fused; receptacle flat to columnar, smooth or pitted (occasionally 1--6 palea-like scales at tip). Ray Flower: 0 or generally +- 1 per phyllary; ray entire to lobed, generally yellow (white). Disk Flower: (3)10--300; corolla yellow; anther tip ovate, deltate or awl-shaped; style tips +- ovate, papillate. Fruit: 4(5)-angled or outer fruits flattened, inner fruits generally club-shaped; pappus of 0--15 +- jagged or fringed scales.
Etymology: (Greek: woolly leaf) Note: Eriophyllum nevinii moved to Constancea.
eFlora Treatment Author: John S. Mooring & Dale E. Johnson (annual species)
Reference: Johnson & Mooring 2006 FNANM 21:353--362
Unabridged Reference: Mooring 2002 Amer J Bot 89:1973--1983
Species: Eriophyllum ambiguumView Description 


Habit: Annual 5--30 cm, decumbent to ascending. Leaf: < 4 cm, oblong-oblanceolate, entire to shallowly lobed. Inflorescence: heads 1; peduncle 1--8 cm; involucre 3--6 mm, obconic to hemispheric; phyllaries 6--10, acuminate; receptacle conic. Ray Flower: 6--10; ray 2--10 mm. Disk Flower: many; corolla 1.3--3 mm, tube and throat hairy; anther tip deltate, smooth. Fruit: 2.2--3 mm, +- strigose; pappus 0 or 0.1--0.5 mm. Chromosomes: 2n=14.

Eriophyllum ambiguum (A. Gray) A. Gray var. ambiguum
NATIVE
Leaf: pinnately lobed. Inflorescence: involucre 4--5.5 mm; phyllaries occasionally fused; receptacle tip scales 0.
Ecology: Open chaparral; Elevation: 200--1900 m. Bioregional Distribution: s SNF, Teh. Flowering Time: Mar--Jun
Jepson eFlora Author: John S. Mooring & Dale E. Johnson (annual species)
Reference: Johnson & Mooring 2006 FNANM 21:353--362
Index of California Plant Names (ICPN; linked via the Jepson Online Interchange)

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Botanical illustration including Eriophyllum ambiguum var. ambiguum

botanical illustration including Eriophyllum ambiguum var. ambiguum

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Citation for this treatment: John S. Mooring & Dale E. Johnson (annual species) 2012, Eriophyllum ambiguum var. ambiguum, in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=7364, accessed on April 15, 2024.

Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) 2024, Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/, accessed on April 15, 2024.

Eriophyllum ambiguum  
var. ambiguum
click for enlargement
©2022 Neal Kramer
Eriophyllum ambiguum  
var. ambiguum
click for enlargement
©2012 Aaron Schusteff
Eriophyllum ambiguum  
var. ambiguum
click for enlargement
©2012 Aaron Schusteff
Eriophyllum ambiguum  
var. ambiguum
click for enlargement
©2012 Aaron Schusteff

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Geographic subdivisions for Eriophyllum ambiguum var. ambiguum:
s SNF, Teh.
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map of distribution 1
(Note: any qualifiers in the taxon distribution description, such as 'northern', 'southern', 'adjacent' etc., are not reflected in the map above, and in some cases indication of a taxon in a subdivision is based on a single collection or author-verified occurence).





 

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Duplicates counted once; synonyms included.
Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa, if there are more than 1 infraspecific taxon in CA.
Blue line denotes eFlora flowering time (fruiting time in some monocot genera).