Heterotheca pumila, August 5, 2022
H. pumila seed heads, Linkins Lake Trail, 11,750’, August 28, 2022
Common & scientific name
Alpine goldenaster, Heterotheca pumila
Family
Sunflower, Asteraceae
Location
Roadside, 11,400’
Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
While all guide books describe this and its close cousin Heterotheca villosa as “highly variable” (in size, leaf shape, hairiness, etc.), it is easily identifiable by its strongly pungent smell, location (subalpine to alpine, in dry, exposed places like trailside or roadside), and its numerous yellow flowers atop a roundish mound of grayish-green leaves.