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Smith, R.W.

Tetraneuris grandiflora

Tetraneuris grandiflora (Torr. & A. Gray ex A. Gray) K.F. Parker

Graylocks Four-nerve Daisy, Old-man-of-the-mountain, Alpine Sunflower, Rydbergia, Bitterweed

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Synonym(s): Actinea grandiflora, Hymenoxys grandiflora, Rydbergia grandiflora

USDA Symbol: TEGR3

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Out of a low mat of feathery leaves covered with cottony white hairs, rise 3-4 in. sunflowerlike flower heads on stems usually less than a foot high. The bright yellow petals with three teeth at the tip surround a broad, domed center which turns from yellow to tan with age.

In a complicated genus, this has the largest and prettiest heads (grandiflora means "large-flowered") in the West.

From the Image Gallery

15 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Size Notes: Up to about 1 foot tall.
Fruit: Fruit is a cypsela (pl. cypselae). Though technically incorrect, the fruit is often referred to as an achene.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: May , Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: CO , ID , MT , UT , WY
Native Distribution: S.w. MT & adjacent ID, s. to w. CO & n.e. UT
Native Habitat: Alpine tundra; mt. meadows

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Moist
Soil pH: Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
Soil Description: Moist, gravelly, limestone-rich soils.
Conditions Comments: Grows best where summers are cool and dry. Some populations die abruptly after flowering, so it is a good idea to stagger plantings over several years.

Propagation

Description: Propagate by seed.
Seed Treatment: A moist, cold treatment enhances germination.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Tetraneuris grandiflora in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Tetraneuris grandiflora in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Tetraneuris grandiflora

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-01-27
Research By: TWC Staff

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