About Arnica latifolia Bong.
Arnica latifolia Bong. is a species of arnica in the sunflower family. Its common names include broadleaf arnica, broad leaved arnica, mountain arnica, and daffodil leopardbane. This plant is native to western North America, with a range extending from Alaska east to the Northwest Territories, and south to Mono County, California, and Taos County, New Mexico. It grows in mountain habitats including forests and meadows. Arnica latifolia is a perennial herb that grows from a long rhizome. It produces a hairy, mostly bare stem that reaches 10 to 50 centimeters tall. It has a cluster of leaves at its base, and usually a few pairs of leaves along the lower section of the stem. Its leaves range from lance-shaped to broad and nearly heart-shaped, and are typically toothed. The inflorescence holds one or more daisy-like flower heads, lined with glandular phyllaries. Each flower head has a center of yellow disc florets, plus several yellow ray florets that can grow up to 3 centimeters long. The fruit produced is an achene with a white pappus. This species was first described in 1832 by German-Russian botanist Gustav Heinrich von Bongard, based on plant material collected near Sitka, which is now part of Alaska and was called Russian America at the time of collection. Arnica latifolia may be confused with the similar species Arnica cordifolia, and can be told apart from this species by its leaves.
