Selected Plants of Navajo Rangelands

Take care of our Navajo Rangelands

Curlycup gumweed
Ch’ilbílátahaltsóíí

Growth habit, showing low, bushy stature and numerous stems with yellow flowers

Curlycup gumweed is a short-lived perennial or biennial forb averaging 1 to 3 feet high. Numerous branching stems bear alternately arranged leaves, typically 1 to 4 inches long with entire to serrate—or even somewhat lobed—margins. The flower heads are radiate with 25 to 40 yellow rays and a yellow center. The involucral bracts are strongly rolled back, and highly resinous. The fruit is an achene about 1/8 inch long bearing 2 to 3 awns. Flowering occurs in mid- to late-summer, typically beginning in July and continuing through August and into September. Occasional plants will be seen with flowers persisting into November.

Side view of a flower, showing involucral bracts surrounding the entire base of the flower
Side view of a flower, showing involucral bracts surrounding the entire base of the flower
Flower with yellow rays and yellow disk flowers
Foliage with slightly serrate leaf margins

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