Tranquil Goldenweed

Pyrrocoma clementis is recognized by its villous to tomentose stems, villous and ciliate phyllaries, and high elevation habitat, often well above tree-line. It is similar to P. uniflora, which has narrower heads, finer floccose-tomentose pubescence, and grows at lower elevations.

Plants 3–18(–40) cm. Stems 1–5, ascending or decumbent, pale and often red-tinged, sparsely villous, sometimes tomentose. Leaves (persistent, thick, ± fleshy); basal petiolate, blades lanceolate to narrowly oblanceolate, 50–140 × 9–16 mm, margins usually entire, sometimes slightly undulate, sometimes denticulate, sparsely ciliate, apices acute to obtuse, faces usually glabrous, sometimes puberulent or villous, eglandular; cauline sessile, lanceolate to ovate, 20–40 × 5–10 mm, bases clasping, auriculate. Heads usually borne singly, terminal, sometimes 2–3 smaller proximally, not subtended by leaflike bracts. Peduncles 0.5–1 cm. Involucres broadly campanulate, 8–15 × 20–35 mm. Phyllaries in 3–4 series, green with white margins, sometimes yellowish, lanceolate to oblanceolate, 6–12 mm, unequal, margins entire, ciliate, apices obtuse to acute or acuminate, faces villous. Ray florets 21–55; corollas 10–18 mm. Disc florets 100+; corollas 6–8 mm. Cypselae subfusiform, not compressed, 4–7 mm, 4-angled, faces striate, sericeous or glabrous; pappi tawny, 6–8 mm.

Haplopappus clementis (Rydberg) S. F. Blake

Pyrrocoma clementis is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name tranquil goldenweed. It is native to Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming in the United States.

This perennial herb produces one or more hairy stems up to 40 centimeters long. The leaves have fleshy, linear or lance-shaped blades. The lower leaves are borne on petioles and the upper ones clasp the stem at their bases. The lower leaves can reach 14 centimeters long. The inflorescence is usually a solitary flower head with a bell-shaped base up to 1.5 centimeters wide. It is lined with green or yellowish phyllaries with white edges. It contains several yellow ray florets and many disc florets. The fruit is an achene at least a centimeter long including its pappus.

In Colorado, this plant grows on alpine tundra.

There are two varieties of this plant. The rare var. villosa is endemic to Wyoming, where it grows in the Big Horn Mountains.