Tall Silvercrown (Luina nardosmia)

Leavenworth Ski Hill, Leavenworth, WA, 5/2017.

Variously called Luina or Cacaliopsis, this waist-high plain-looking plant’s  leaves resemble those of Coltsfoot, with flowers that look somewhat like a Rainiera. Upon close inspection, one finds this yellow composite flower actually consists of an exquisite bundle of tightly-packed tiny 5-petaled flowers.  Found in dry east-side open woods, we saw this supposedly uncommon plant in large numbers within weeks of each other near Mt. Hood (Tygh Creek) and north of Mt. Rainer (Leavenworth).

Leavenworth Ski Hill, Leavenworth, WA, 5/2017.

Tygh Creek Trail, Badger Creek Wilderness Area, OR, 6/2017