Arnica mollis Hook.
hairy arnica
Asteraceae (Aster family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Jim Riley     (Photo ID #8880)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Arnica mollis
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

General:
Perennial herb from a freely rooted rhizome; stems solitary, sometimes branched above, sparsely to densely hairy with multicellular hairs, sometimes also glandular, 15-65 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves elliptic, smaller than the stem leaves, often produced on separate shoots, often deciduous by flowering time; stem leaves 2-4 pairs, opposite, lanceolate to oblanceolate or elliptic, 2-20 cm long, 0.5-2.5 cm wide, reduced above, glabrous to glandular and hairy, stalked below, unstalked above, entire to coarsely toothed.
Flowers:
Heads with ray and disk flowers, 1-5, usually erect, the bases hairy and glandular; involucres 10-18 mm tall; involucral bracts lanceolate to oblanceolate, hairy, and with stalked glands; ray flowers yellow, 14-20, short-toothed at the tips; disk flowers yellow.
Fruits:
Achenes 5.0-7.5 mm long, usually moderately hairy and sometimes glandular; pappus brownish, more or less feathery.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

USDA Species Characteristics

Flower Colour:
Yellow
Blooming Period:
Summer
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present over the Fall
Source:  The USDA

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Arnica mollis

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
1862 81 2562
Slope Gradient (%)
22 0 110

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

179 0 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
4 0 8
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
D
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
250
Modal BEC Zone Class
ESSF

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

AT(33), BAFA(2), ESSF(161), ICH(1), IDF(1), IMA(9), MH(4), MS(3), SBS(3), SWB(6)

Habitat and Range

Moist to mesic meadows and open forests in the lowland to alpine zones; common in S BC, less frequent northward; N to AK, YT and NT, E to AB and S to CO, UT and CA.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Arnica amplexicaulis subsp. genuina Maguire
Arnica amplexicaulis subsp. prima (Maguire) Maguire
Arnica amplexicaulis var. piperi H. St. John & Warren
Arnica amplexicaulis var. prima (Maguire) B. Boivin
Arnica amplexifolia Rydb.
Arnica mollis var. aspera (Greene) B. Boivin
Arnica mollis var. silvatica (Greene) Maguire