Wyethia amplexicaulis, June 16, 2020
Common & scientific name
Mules ears, Wyethia amplexicaulis
Family
Sunflower, Asteraceae
Location
Difficult Trail, 8,000’
Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
Our local Mules ears are unusual in that their leaves have a rough-hairy texture, while most W. amplexicaulis plants are smooth and hair-free. William Weber, the foremost authority on Colorado wildflowers, says ours is “a stable hybrid population stemming from a time when the Pleistocene climate compressed the range, bringing this species into close contact with W. arizonica.”