Eriophyllum lanatum

Woolly wool sheet ( Eriophyllum lanatum )

The Woolly wool sheet ( Eriophyllum lanatum ), also known as Big Wool sheet, is a plant from the sunflower family ( Asteraceae). The species is very rich in form, there have so far been described more than 10 varieties.

Features

The Woolly wool sheet is a perennial herbaceous plant or a semi - dwarf or shrub. It is usually 15 to 30, rarely up to 100 centimeters. The plant is decumbent ascending, branched, bushy and hairy woolly. The stem leaves are 1-8 inches long and three-to five-piece pinnatisect. In Eriophyllum lanatum subsp. integrifolium ( Hook. ) Smiley they are cut in pieces and entire. The flower heads have a diameter of 4 centimeters. The flowers are yellow. The usually 8, rarely to 13 ray florets are 6-20 mm long and elliptical. The bracts are uniseriate, ovate, acute, 5-12 mm long and overlap each other.

The flowering period extends from June to August.

Occurrence

The species occurs in south-western Canada and the western United States to western Montana, Wyoming and Nevada. It grows on open, dry sites at altitudes of 4000 meters. In Germany, the wooly wool sheet is locally naturalized as a neophyte.

Use

The Woolly wool sheet is rarely used as an ornamental plant for rockeries and South slopes. It is in culture at least since 1826.

Documents

• Eckhart J. Hunter, Friedrich Ebel, Peter Hanelt, Gerd Müller, K. (ed.): Rothmaler - Excursion Flora of Germany. Volume 5: Herbaceous ornamental and useful plants. Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg 2008, ISBN 978-3-8274-0918-8.
• Woolly woolen sheet. In: FloraWeb.de.