[Arnicas and Leopardbanes: The Genus Arnica East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]
Parry's Arnica, Nodding Arnica
Arnica parryi
Synonyms: Arnica angustifolia, Arnica angustifolia ssp. eradiata, Arnica parryi ssp. parryi, Arnica parryi ssp. sonnei, Arnica parryi var. parryi, Arnica parryi var. sonnei
The photo above shows the discoid inflorescence of nodding arnica as seen along forest road 82 above spur road 190 on the southeastern side of Mt. Adams........July 1, 2005. The flower heads are typically lacking in ray flowers, which if present, are greatly reduced in size and number.
The photo at right shows nodding arnica from Fremont Overlook, Fremont National Forest...........July
12, 1998.
Characteristics:
Nodding arnica is a fairly easy Arnica to identify as it is one of only several
to have mostly discoid flower heads, and also because the young flower heads
nod, and then eventually stand erect.
It is a perennial which stands from 15 to 60 cm tall. The leaves are all
opposite, with two to four pairs being present. The upper leaves are reduced
in size. The leaves are lance-shaped to lance-ovate in outline, and those lower
on the stem are long petioled. Individual leaves are 5 - 20 cm long and 1.5
to 6 cm wide.
The flower heads usually number one to four, but maybe as numerous as twelve.
The involucre is 10 to 14 mm long, with individual bracts lance shaped, hairy,
and glandular. As mentioned above, this species is usually discoid, with ray
flowers typically absent. Some individuals as shown in some of the photos here
may have small ray flowers. This especially typifies subspecies sonnei,
a California subspecies, which might be shown here, as most of the individuals
seen in the Fremont N.F. were slightly radiate.
Habitat:
Parry's arnica is found in open woods, drier meadows, and on moist slopes
from the foothills to moderate elevations in the mountains.
Range:
Parry's arnica is found from British Columbia and Alberta south to California
and Colorado.
The photo above shows a close-up side-view of the flower head of nodding arnica as seen along forest road 82 above spur road 190 on the southeastern side of Mt. Adams.......July 1, 2005. Note the numeorus long, spreading, gland-tipped hairs on the involucre and on the upper stem.
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Basal or lower stem leaves of nodding arnica as seen (left) along the Slide Basin Trail #372 near a marked (on the map) spring about two-thirds of a mile north of Slide Lake, Strawberry Mountain Wilderness.........August 11, 2015. The photo at right shows the leaves of nodding arnica as seen in open conifer forest along the Round Mountain South Trail #805 near the summit of Round Mountain, Ochoco National Forest.........May 28, 2016.
Leaves of nodding arnica from Fremont Overlook, Fremont National Forest...........July
12, 1998.
Paul Slichter