Pumice alpinegold facts for kids

Hulsea vestita is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the daisy family. People often call it pumice alpinegold. This plant grows naturally in eastern and southern California. You can find it in different mountain areas. These include the High Sierra, the Transverse Ranges, and the Peninsular Ranges. It also lives in the Madrean Sky Islands in the Mojave Desert. One type of this plant, called Hulsea vestita ssp. inyoensis, also grows in western Nevada.

You can usually spot this plant on rocky mountain slopes. These slopes are often made of loose rocks (called talus). The soil where it grows often comes from volcanoes.

About Pumice Alpinegold

What It Looks Like

The pumice alpinegold is a perennial herb. This means it lives for more than two years. It grows a bunch of thick leaves near the ground. Its stems can reach up to one meter (about 40 inches) tall. However, they are usually much shorter.

The leaves are a gray-green color. They are shaped like spoons and feel woolly. Sometimes, their edges can look a bit ruffled.

The plant has thick flower heads. These look like large daisies. The green parts under the flowers are called phyllaries. They are hairy and have small glands. The middle of the flower head has many long, golden disc florets. Around the edge, there is a fringe of golden to reddish ray florets. These can be up to 2 centimeters (about 0.8 inches) long.

Different Kinds (Subspecies)

Just like there are different breeds of dogs, there are different kinds of Hulsea vestita. These are called Subspecies. They are all the same plant but have small differences. Here are some of the subspecies:

• Hulsea vestita ssp. callicarpha (beautiful hulsea) — Found in Southern California.
• Hulsea vestita ssp. gabrielensis (San Gabriel Mtns. sunflower) — Grows in the San Gabriel Mountains and other Transverse Ranges.
• Hulsea vestita ssp. inyoensis (Inyo hulsea, pumice alpinegold) — Lives in the Inyo Mountains, ranges in Death Valley National Park, and other areas in Inyo and Mono Counties, plus western Nevada.
• Hulsea vestita ssp. parryi (Parry's alpinegold) — Found in the San Bernardino Mountains, other Transverse and Peninsular ranges, and the Sierras.
• Hulsea vestita ssp. pygmaea (pygmy alpinegold) — Grows in the San Bernardino Mountains and the Southern Sierras.
• Hulsea vestita ssp. vestita (pumice alpinegold) — Found in the Sierras and eastern Transverse ranges.