General: Rock Goldenrod (Petradoria pumila ssp. pumila) is a perennial forb that grows in clumps with elongate leaves that tend to be held upward. Upright flower stalks extend above the leaves (but also have leaves), and clusters of yellow flowerheads are held towards the tip of each stalk. Each flowerhead is composed of only a few flowers, usually 2-3 ray flowers and 2-4 disk flowers.
Rock Goldenrod is a fairly common component of vegetation communities in sunny, well-drained gravelly and rocky areas on higher-elevation ridges in the Upper Sonoran (Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; unusual this low), Transition (Yellow Pine Forest), Canadian (Pine-Fir Forest),
Hudsonian (Bristlecone Pine Forest), and Alpine (Tundra) life zones.
Around Las Vegas, look for Rock Goldenrod up in the mountains. In particular, the start of the Bristlecone Trail is an easy place to find this species, but it is fairly common on higher ridges.
Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) |