10. Ericameria cuneata (A. Gray) McClatchie, Erythea. 2: 124. 1894.
Haplopappus cuneatus A. Gray, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 8: 635. 1873 (as Aplopappus)
Plants 10–100 cm. Stems spreading to ascending or erect, green when young, highly branched, glabrous, gland-dotted (sometimes in pits), resinous. Leaves ascending-spreading; blades cuneate to spatulate, 2–25 × 2–16 mm, midnerves evident or faint, (margins usually flat) apices rounded, obtuse, or retuse, sometimes mucronate, faces glabrous, gland-dotted (in pits), thickly resinous; axillary leaf fascicles rarely present . Heads usually borne singly, sometimes in rounded, cymiform arrays (to 5 × 8 cm). Peduncles 2–10 mm (bracts 0–10+, scalelike). Involucres turbinate to narrowly campanulate, 6–12.5 × 4–14 mm. Phyllaries 20–60 in 3–7 series, tan, ovate to lanceolate, 2–6 × 0.5–2.5 mm, unequal, mostly chartaceous, sometimes each with herbaceous subapical patch, midnerves evident on proximal 1 / 2 or throughout, subapical resin ducts 0 or slightly darker, thickened and expanded, (margins membranous, weakly lacerate) apices acute to acuminate or obtuse, abaxial faces glabrous. Ray florets 0(–7); laminae 3–4.3 × 1–1.5 mm. Disc florets 7–70; corollas ca. 5.5 mm. Cypselae tan to brown, turbinate, 2.5–3 mm, sericeous to villous; pappi off-white to brown, 6.5–8 mm. 2n = 18.
Varieties 3 (3 in the flora): sw United States, nw Mexico.
Variety spathulata extends into Mexico. It is reported to hybridize with Ericameria nauseosa.
SELECTED REFERENCE
Urbatsch, L. E. 1976. Systematics of the Ericameria cuneata complex (Compositae, Astereae). Madroño 23: 338–345.
