Turpentine Bush

Plants 30–100 cm . Stems erect to ascending, green when young, fastigiately branched, glabrous, gland-dotted, resinous. Leaf blades ascending, sometimes spreading when older, filiform to narrowly oblanceolate (adaxially sulcate to concave), 10–20 × 1–2 mm, midnerves not evident, apices acute, sometimes apiculate, faces glabrous, regularly gland-dotted (in circular, deep pits), resinous; axillary leaf fascicles sometimes present, shorter than subtending leaves. Heads in irregular cymiform arrays (to 7 cm wide). Peduncles 3–15 mm (bracts 3–20+, mostly leaflike, distal scalelike). Involucres turbinate, 3–5 × 3–5 mm. Phyllaries 12–20 in 3–4 series, tan, linear to lanceolate, 1–3.5 × 0.5–1 mm, unequal, mostly chartaceous, sometimes herbaceous-tipped, erect, midnerves raised, somewhat expanded apically, subapical resin ducts usually present, (margins scarious to narrowly membranous, glabrous or ciliate) apices erect, acute, sometimes apiculate, abaxial faces glabrous. Ray florets 3–6; laminae 4–5 × 1–2 mm. Disc florets 6–16; corollas 5–6 mm. Cypselae tan to brown, turbinate to narrowly oblanceolate, 3.5–4 mm (ribs ca. 5), villous; pappi off-white to brown, 3.5–5 mm. 2n = 18.

Haplopappus laricifolius A. Gray, Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 5(6): 80. 1853 (as Aplopappus)

Ericameria laricifolia is a North American species of flowering shrub in the family Asteraceae known by the common name turpentine bush, or turpentine-brush. It is native to the southwestern United States (Arizona, New Mexico, western Texas, southwestern Utah, southern Nevada, southeastern California) and northern Mexico (Chihuahua).

Ericameria laricifolia grows in desert scrub and woodlands. It is a shrub reaching 50–100 cm (20-40 inches) in height, is generally hairless, somewhat glandular, and aromatic. It sometimes has naked stems at the base but the upper branches are densely foliated in needlelike, pointed leaves one to three centimeters (0.4-1.2 inches) long. The many erect branches bear inflorescences of bright golden yellow flower heads, each with up to 16 long disc florets and as many as 6 ray florets.