Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Aug 2, 2026

Wyethia

Wyethia is a genus of North American flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. First published by Thomas Nuttall in J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia vol.7 on page 39 in 1834.

Last revised
Aug 2, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
385 w
Citations
10
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Wyethia
Wyethia helenioides
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Heliantheae
Subtribe: Engelmanniinae
Genus: Wyethia
Nutt.
Type species
Wyethia helianthoides
Synonyms1
  • Alarconia DC.
  • Espeletia Nutt.
  • Melarhiza Kellogg

Wyethia is a genus of North American flowering plants in the family Asteraceae.234 First published by Thomas Nuttall in J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia vol.7 on page 39 in 1834.5

These plants are commonly referred to as mule's ears. They are short, low to the ground golden-rayed wildflowers that resemble miniature sunflowers.6 The genus is named for an early explorer of the western United States, American Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth, 1802–1856.7

Species

As accepted by Kew;5 and Biota of North America Program;8

Image Name Distribution
Wyethia amplexicaulis (Nutt.) Nutt. - northern mule's ears, black sunflower WA OR ID MT NV WY UT CO
Wyethia angustifolia Nutt. - California compassplant, narrowleaf wyethia WA OR CA
Wyethia arizonica A.Gray - Arizona mule's ears AZ NM UT CO
Wyethia x cusickii Piper OR ID NV
Wyethia glabra A.Gray - Coast Range mule's ears CA
Wyethia helenioides Nutt. - gray mule's ears, whitehead mule's ears CA
Wyethia helianthoides Nutt. - sunflower mule's ears OR ID NV WY MT
Wyethia longicaulis A.Gray - Humboldt mule's ears CA
Wyethia mollis A.Gray - woolly mule's ears CA OR NV
Wyethia × magna A.Nelson ex W.A.Weber CO NM
Wyethia ovata California, Baja California
Wyethia sagittata (Pursh) Mabb. Oregon
formerly included;1

Agnorhiza. Scabrethia and Vigethia

References

References

  1. Flann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist
  2. Nuttall, Thomas. 1834. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 7(1): 39–40 description in Latin, commentary in English
  3. Nuttall, Thomas. 1834. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 7(1): plate V (5) full-page line drawing of Wyethia helianthoides
  4. Tropicos, Wyethia Nutt.
  5. "Wyethia Nutt. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  6. Flora of North America Vol. 21 Page 100
  7. Burkhardt, Lotte (2022). Eine Enzyklopädie zu eponymischen Pflanzennamen [Encyclopedia of eponymic plant names] (pdf) (in German). Berlin: Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum, Freie Universität Berlin. doi:10.3372/epolist2022. ISBN 978-3-946292-41-8. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  8. Biota of North America Program 2013 county distribution maps
External links