Herrickia kingii -- Flickr - andrey zharkikh

Description:

Description: King's serpentweed (Herrickia kingii syn. Machaeranthera kingii syn. Tonestus kingii var. kingii), Aster family (Asteraceae). North Ridge of Mount White Baldy, Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah. This is the third encounter with this interesting aster. Two others: - on the Sunset Peak: (www.flickr.com/photos/zharkikh/19918530783), where it was mostly white and single-headed, and - on the Mount Raymond: (www.flickr.com/photos/zharkikh/6425953377). Unlike the Sunset Peak, this one and one from Mount Raymond have purple tinge and are rather multi-headed. The spreading phyllaries and the upper stem have glandular pubescence. This aster does not exceed 10 cm, with only one or two cauline and many basal leaves. Date: 15 August 2015, 11:54. Source: 2015.08.15_11.54.38_DSC00076. Author: Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA.