Ericameria palmeri var. pachylepis (H.M. Hall) G. Nelson   =Haplopappus palmeri ssp. pachylepis   Asteraceae  (Sunflower Family)   Native   Palmer's Ericameria

                                           August Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Shrub 0.5-1.5 m. high, with numerous ascending puberlous stems, resinous, glandular-punctate, very leafy; lvs. mostly 8-12 mm. long, filiform, subterete, fasciculate; heads many, in thyrsoid panicles; invol. cylindro-turbinate, 6-7 mm. high; phyllaries 16-25, thickish, 4-seriate, broadly lanceolate to oblong, the bullate costal gland in apical half only; ray fls. 1-4; disk fls. 5-10; aks. densely sericeous.  

Habitat:  Rather common on dry plain below 2500 ft.; Coastal Sage Scrub, s. Ventura Co.  to desert borders, Riverside Co., Santa Catalina Id.  Aug.-Dec.

Name:  Greek, haploos, simple and pappos, pappus.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 174).  The species name is in honor of Dr. Edward Palmer (1831-1911).  Ardent collector of both birds and plants of the southwestern U.S. and Guadalupe Island in Lower California.  Nearly two hundred plant names keep alive his important endeavors in botanical lines.  Dr. Palmer is said to have discovered more than eleven hundred new species of flowering plants.  (Jaeger 313).  Ericameria, Gr., ereike, the European heath, and meris, part, the minute evergreen leaves of the first-known species heath-like.  (Jepson 1023).  Gr., pachy, thick and Gr., lepis, a scale.  (Jaeger 180).  Referring to the thickish phyllaries.  (my comment).

General:  Uncommon in the study area.  Mostly found in the Santa Ana Heights area and at 23 rd. Street. Photographed on the Santa Ana Heights Bluffs.  (my comments).     The Indians used Haplopappus spp. leaves for medicine and the seeds and stems for food.  (Heizer and Elsasser 246).      About 150 spp., all Am., chiefly w. U.S., Mex., Chile.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 174).     In the Jepson Manual, the genus name has been changed back to Ericameria from Haplopappus.   (Hickman, Ed. 253).

Text Ref:  Abrams, Vol. IV 287; Hickman, Ed. 253; Munz, Calif. Flora 1182; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 178; Roberts 11.

Photo Ref:  Oct-Nov 83 # 15,17; Aug 1 84 # 19,20.

Identity: by F. Roberts.  

First Found:  October 1983.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 178.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 7/30/05.  

                                August Photo                                                                        October Photo