About Wyethia mollis A.Gray
Wyethia mollis, commonly known as woolly mule's ears, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. This plant has a hairy to woolly texture, and sometimes loses its hairs as it ages. Wyethia mollis is a coarse perennial herb native to the mountains of northern California (particularly on the east side of the Sierra Nevada), as well as southeastern Oregon and western Nevada. It grows in forests and other mountain habitats, including dry open meadows that contain sagebrush. It grows from a tough taproot and caudex unit, producing a stem that is typically 30 to 40 centimeters tall, though it can reach up to one meter in height at times. Thanks to its deep roots, it thrives in volcanic soils. Its leaves have lance-shaped or oval blades up to 40 centimeters long; the blades are glandular and coated in woolly hairs, especially when new. The leaves usually grow vertically upward from the plant's base. The inflorescence is either a solitary flower head, or a cluster of 2 or 3 flower heads. Each head holds up to 11 yellow ray florets, which can reach up to 4.5 centimeters in length. The fruit is an achene about one centimeter long, not including its pappus. The seeds of Wyethia mollis are edible, and have a taste similar to sunflower seeds.
