Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Sagebrush deserts to alpine rocky ridges.
Flowers: June-September
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Bumblebees, bees, flies, butterflies, beetles, wasps
A variable, freely-branching perennial, usually forming low mats up to 6 dm. broad, but occasionally the branches ascending to 3 dm.
Variable, oblong to broadly obovate, acute or rounded, gradually or abruptly narrowed to a slender petiole, the blade 1-3 cm. long and the petiole 1/3 to equal length, usually gray-wooly on the under surface and green on the top.
Flowering stems up to 30 cm. longer but usually much shorter, leafless or with 1 or more small, scattered bracts; inflorescence a simple or compound, open umbel, the rays subtended by whorls of narrow bracts; involucre narrowly cup-shaped, the lobes 2-3 mm. long, about equal to the tube, usually reflexed; tepals glabrous, usually cream to yellow with a stipitate base, the lobes 2.5-4 mm. long, lengthening to up to 7 mm. in fruit.
The large mat of green leaves which are gray on the under surface, and the yellow or cream flowers will usually identify this species.
Publication: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York. 2: 241. 1827.
- var. devestivum – emperor's sulfur flower Occurring east of the Cascades crest in southeastern Washington; southeastern Washington to northeastern Oregon, east to adjacent Idaho.
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var. ellipticum – starry sulfur flower
Occurring east of the Cascades crest in southeastern Washington; southeastern Washington to California, east to Idaho. -
var. haussknechtii – Haussknecht's sulfur flower Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to northern California
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var. hypoleium – Kittitas sulfur flower Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington, where endemic to Chelan and Kittitas counties.
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var. majus – subalpine sulfur flower Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Alberta, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado.
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var. sandbergii – Sandberg's sulfur flower Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Okanogan County, Washington to Hood River and Wasco County, Oregon.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Eriogonum umbellatum in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database
WA Flora Checklist: Eriogonum umbellatum checklist entry
OregonFlora: Eriogonum umbellatum information
E-Flora BC: Eriogonum umbellatum atlas page
CalPhotos: Eriogonum umbellatum photos
