About Hydrophyllum occidentale (S.Watson) A.Gray
Hydrophyllum occidentale (S.Watson) A.Gray is a rhizomatous perennial herb that forms a patch of foliage. Most of its leaves are compound, consisting of many pairs of oval-shaped, bluntly lobed green leaflets, and these compound leaves can reach up to 40 centimeters in length. The plant grows erect stems that branch into green to reddish-purple, rough-haired, leafless peduncles that hold the plant's inflorescences. The inflorescence is a large, rounded cluster of densely packed flowers, and this inflorescence sits above the plant's leaf canopy. Each flower is up to 1 centimeter wide, with a color ranging from bright white to lavender. The flower is covered in soft downy white hairs, has a long protruding style, and usually bears five stamens with large purple or red anthers. The fruit produced is a spherical capsule that holds two seeds. This species is native to the western United States, where its range extends from California to Idaho. It can grow in a wide variety of habitats, from wet mountain meadows to dry chaparral slopes.
