Arnica latifolia (Arnica)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Subalpine, alpine. Woodland openings and meadows. Summer.
Cross Mountain Trail, August 18, 2005.

Arnica latifolia is uncommon in the Four Corners area; there are no records of it anywhere in Arizona.  A. latifolia is similar to Arnica cordifolia in many of its features but also has a number of differences: its basal leaves are usually withered at flowering time (A. cordifolia's are often present); the petioles of its lower stem leaves are shorter than the leaves (versus longer in A. cordifolia); its phyllaries do not have the tuft of hairs at their tips that A. cordifolia's usually do; and, of course, its leaves are not cordate.

All Arnicas shown on this web site have lovely lemon-scented flowers.

Linnaeus named this genus in 1753 and A. latifolia was named by August Bongard in 1832 from a specimen collected by Mertens in Alaska.  The word "Arnica" means "lamb's skin," and probably refers to the downy soft leaves.  "Latifolia" means "wide foliage".

Arnica latifolia (Arnica)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Subalpine, alpine. Woodland openings and meadows. Summer.
Cross Mountain Trail, August 19, 2005.

Arnica latifolia (Arnica)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Subalpine, alpine. Woodland openings and meadows. Summer.
Cross Mountain Trail, August 19, 2005.

Pappus hairs are bright white.

Arnica latifolia (Arnica)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Subalpine, alpine. Woodland openings and meadows. Summer.
Cross Mountain Trail, August 19, 2005.

Phyllaries are of equal length, pointed at their tips, and hairy but lacking a tuft of hairs at their tips.

Arnica latifolia (Arnica)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Subalpine, alpine. Woodland openings and meadows. Summer.
Cross Mountain Trail, August 19, 2005.

Upper stem leaves are usually sessile (no petiole); lower stem leaves have petioles shorter than the length of the leaves.