Plants 10-200 cm. Stems erect to spreading, green when young, fastigiately branched, glabrous, gland-dotted (in pits), resinous . Leaves ascending to spreading; blades linear to narrowly elliptic (usually terete to sulcate adaxially), 10-25 × 0.8-1.5 mm, midnerves obscure to evident, apices usually acute, rarely rounded, sometimes mucronate, faces glabrous or sparsely hairy, gland-dotted (in circular, deep pits), resinous; axillary fascicles of 2-10 leaves, shorter than subtending leaves. Heads in racemiform to paniculiform arrays (1-15 × ca. 8 cm). Peduncles 3-20 mm (leafy or bracteate). Involucres turbinate, 4-6 × 2-5 mm. Phyllaries 15-22 in 3-4 series, tan, ovate to elliptic, 2.5-7 × 0.6-1.5 mm, unequal, outer ± herbaceous, mid and inner mostly chartaceous, midnerves darker, strongly raised, uniform in widths, resinous, (margins membranous, ciliate especially distally) apices erect, acute, abaxial faces glabrous . Ray florets usually 0, rarely 1-2; laminae elliptic, 4-6 × 1-1.5 mm. Disc florets 6-16(-22); corollas 5-6.5 mm. Cypselae tan to purple, 3.5-4 mm (7-8 ribbed), densely hairy; pappi off-white to brown, sometimes reddish, 5-6.5 mm. 2n = 36.

Flowering late summer-fall. Open rocky slopes, chaparral and desert scrub; 400-1500 m; Ariz., Calif.; Mexico (Baja California).

Common Name: chaparral goldenbush

Duration: Perennial

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Shrub

General: Shrub 1-2 m tall, with erect to spreading stems that are upright and broom-like, the leaves and twigs gland dotted and resinous.

Leaves: Ascending to spreading, blades filiform to linear or narrowly elliptic, 1-2.5 cm long by 1-1.5 mm wide, shorter ones often in fascicles, the apices usually acute, sometimes mucronate.

Flowers: Heads in paniculate arrays 1-5 cm tall by 8 cm across, on peduncles 3-20 cm long, heads 5-8 mm high, no ray flowers with 15-22 phyllaries in 3-4 series, ovate to elliptic and unequal, resinous, with 6-16 disc flowers, these with corollas 5-6.5 mm long.

Fruits: Cypselae tan to purple, 3.5-4 mm long and dense hairs, the pappi off-white to brown.

Ecology: Found on alluvial plains and slopes from 1,000-5,000 (457-1524 m), flowers August-October.

Distribution: Ranges across Arizona to California and south into Baja California.

Notes: Distinguished by the absence of ray flowers along with the presence of filiform to linear leaves.

Ethnobotany: Used as a wash for wounds and as a remedy for chills.

Etymology: Eric- is ancient root for heath or broom, amari means bitter, while brachylepis means with short scales.

Synonyms: Happlopappus propinquus, Happlopappus brachylepis, Bigelowia brachylepis

Editor: SBuckley 2012