Wide-leaved rock goldenbush, also known as cliff goldenbush, is a much-branched, spreading, glabrous and gland-dotted shrub growing to 3' tall and having a fragrance similar to balsam.   It prefers rocky clefts and crevices on granitic slopes and cliffs, and often appears to be growing directly out of the rock.   The leaves are crowded, ± obovate, entire or with wavy margins, somewhat thick, and have tips that are widely obtuse or notched.   The flowering heads are generally discoid in very small compact cymose clusters.  The involucres are obconic, about 1/4" high, and the lanceolate to obovate, sometimes resinous phyllaries are imbricated in 4-6 series. Ray flowers are usually absent, and there are 7-15 yellow disk flowers per head. The fruit is a 5-ribbed achene about 1/8" long, densely-appressed silky-hairy with a pappus of sparse brown capillary bristles.   This species of goldenbush was formerly known as Haplopappus cuneatus, but the Jepson Manual places it in the genus Ericameria.   It grows within an altitudinal range of 4500' and 7500' and is found in pinyon-juniper woodland and yellow pine forest in the Tehachapis and the mountains bordering the Mojave Desert.   It blooms from September to November.   These pictures were taken in Joshua Tree National Park and in the East Mojave.

Click here for Latin name derivations: 1) Ericameria 2) cuneata 3) spathulata.
Pronunciation: er-i-ka-MEER-ee-a kew-nee-AY-ta spa-thyoo-LAY-ta.
Click here for Botanical Term Meanings.