Scientific Family
Asteraceae
Synonyms
Gymnolomia multiflora, Heliomeris multiflora var. brevifolia, H. multiflora var. nevadensis, Viguiera multiflora
Other common names
goldeneye
Nevada showy false goldeneye
many-flowered goldeneye
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Perennial
Similar species
Heliomeris longifolia
Height
To nearly 3-1/3 feet
Riparian
No
Upright, clump-forming plant, slightly woody base and thin reddish branching stems. Narrow dark yellowish-green leaves have stiff surface hairs. Showy yellow sunflower-like flower heads to 1-1/2 inches wide grow singly or in clusters at the branch tips.
Perennial, slightly woody base; narrow stems are often reddish in color; leaves opposite below, alternate above, narrowly lance-shaped or oblong; showy yellow flower heads with yellow centers at branch tips, visibly hairy phyllaries; achenes not hairy.
Habitat
Grasslands, open mountain areas, meadows, rocky slopes, oak/pinyon pinyon/juniper woodlands, ponderosa pine forests, roadsides.
Plant Community
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Montane Conifer Forest
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Disturbed Areas
Low elevation
4500
High elevation
9500
Flower Characteristics
Flower head has 5 to 14 strap-shaped yellow ray florets (to 3/4 inch) surrounding a flat center of 50 or more tiny yellowish-brown tube-like disc florets which become cone-shaped at maturity. Whorls of hairy leaf-like bracts grow below the flower heads.
Flower color
Yellow, yellowish-brown, orangish-yellow
Flower shape
Daisy or dandelion-like
Tubular
No
First bloom month
May
Last bloom month
October
Flower clusters
Elongated
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Leaves are 2-1/4 inches long, 3/8 inch wide, opposite on the lower stems and alternate above, with smooth to faintly toothed margins. Leaves have a prominent center vein and are covered with stiff hairs. Lower leaf surfaces are dotted with glands.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Dark yellowish-green
Leaf shape
Narrow
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Fruit is about 1/8 inch long, dry, 1-seeded, with a smooth surface becoming blotchy with age. It has no tufts of hair (pappus) and doesn't split open to release the seed when ripe. It may be black or gray with long, thin, parallel streaks (gray-striate).
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit color
Black or gray-streaked
After the petals drop off, the center of the flower head will darken and develop tight clusters of seed. The seeds are dormant and have a pre-chilling requirement for germination.