[The Genus Arnica East of the Cascade Mts. of Oregon and Washington]
Cordilleran Arnica, Cordilleran Leopardbane, Hairy Arnica
Arnica mollis
Hairy arnica blooming in a riparian area along the South Loop Road about one mile downhill from the East Rim Viewpoint, Steens Mountain, Harney County, Oregon.........August 31, 2011.
Characteristics:
Hairy arnica is a fairly attractive perennial wildflower when viewed in mass.
It has many spreading rhizomes with upright stems arising from 20-60 cm high.
The herbage conists of numerous short to long hairs to numerous glands. The
3-4 pairs of leaves are found on the stems, with the lowest leaves the largest
and the upper leaves reduced in size. The lower leaves may be short petiolate
or sessile, while the upper are sessile. The blades are variable in shape, ranging
from ovate to elliptic, lanceolate or oblanceolate. The margins range from entire
to lightly toothed.
The flower heads are solitary or few in number. The involucre ranges from
10-16 mm high with lanceolate or oblanceolate bracts, having acute to acuminate
tips. Individual bracts are villous at the base and glandular towards the tips.
The yellowish rays measure from 12-14 mm long (See photo below.).
Habitat:
Hairy arnica is found in wet meadows and along streambanks at moderate to
high elevation (1900-3550 meters) in the mountains.
Range:
Hairy arnica may be found in British Columbia south through the Cascades of
Washington and Oregon and hence south into California. It is found eastward
in mountainous areas to the Rocky Mts, from Alberta south to Colorado, Utah
and central Nevada.
Hairy arnica blooming in granitic soils on a steep drainage along the East Fork Lostine River Trail #1662 uphill to the west of Lost Lake, Eagle Cap Wilderness.........August 4, 2016.
Hairy arnica blooming in a moist area along the North Loop Road about one mile uphill from Jackman Park, Steens Mountain, Harney County, Oregon..........August 31, 2011.
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Hairy arnica found along the Maxwell Lake Trail about one-quarter mile northeast of Maxwell Lake, Eagle Cap Wilderness..........August 3, 2016.
Hairy arnica still in bloom on the eastern ridgeline high on Sugarloaf Mountain, Eagle Cap Wilderness.......August 13, 2018.
Hairy arnica growing along the Roads End Trail in the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness..........August 19, 2011.
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Hairy arnica observed in a wet meadow along
the Fremont National Recreation Trail #160 at Hank's Spring on the northwest side of Twelvemile Peak, Fremont-Winema National Forest......July 16, 2022.
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Hairy arnica observed in open forest around the edges of a wet meadow at Hanks Spring on the northwest side of Twelvemile Peak. This is accessed via the Fremont National Recreation Trail, Fremont-Winema National Forest.......August 2, 2020.
The photo shows a close-up sideview of hairy arnica, showing the ray flowers and a sideview of the disk flowers. Photographed at about 4300' in moist meadows at the southeastern corner of Mt. Adams..........June 19, 2005.
The photo above illustrates a close-up of the flower head of
hairy arnica from along the North Loop Road on the Steens Mt, about
one mile below the intersection with the Kiger Gorge Road...........July 15,
2000.
The photo above is a close-up of the lowest leaf of hairy arnica from the Ridge of Wonders, Mt. Adams...........September 8, 2001.
The photo above illustrates a close-up of an upper leaf of
hairy arnica from along the North Loop Road on the Steens Mt, about
one mile below the intersection with the Kiger Gorge Road...........July 15,
2000. Note the hairy texture of the leaf and the small teeth on the leaf margin.
The photo above shows a mass of hairy arnica next to Wildhorse Lake on the Steens Mt in southeastern Oregon...........July 16, 2000.
Paul Slichter
