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Pyrrocoma racemosa

(Nutt.) Torr. & Gray

Clustered Goldenweed

G5Secure (G5?) Found in 6 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.129379
Element CodePDASTDT0F0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderAsterales
FamilyAsteraceae
GenusPyrrocoma
Synonyms
Haplopappus racemosus(Nutt.) Torr.
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2026-02-13
Change Date2026-02-13
Edition Date2026-02-13
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2026)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Rank Reasons
Pyrrocoma racemosa is a wide-ranging perennial herb found in a variety of open habitats, including alkaline flats, saline meadows, mountain meadows, open fields, around hot springs and boggy areas, marshes, coastal valleys, chaparral, and openings in conifer forests. It is endemic to the western United States where it occurs from Idaho and Oregon south to Utah, Nevada, and California. There are over 150, and possibly over 300, occurrences, which face threats from development, conversion to agriculture, grazing, rights-of-way maintenance activities, hydrological alteration, succession, invasive species, and drought. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, abundant habitat, and broad habitat preferences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Pyrrocoma racemosa is endemic to the western United States where it occurs from Idaho and Oregon south to Utah, Nevada, and California (FNA 2006). Range extent was estimated to be over 900,000 square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025 (RARECAT 2025, GBIF 2026, iNaturalist 2026, NatureServe 2026, SEINet 2026).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are over 150, and possibly over 300, occurrences rangewide (RARECAT 2025, GBIF 2026, iNaturalist 2026, NatureServe 2026, SEINet 2026).
Threat Impact Comments
This species is threatened by development, conversion to agriculture, grazing, rights-of-way maintenance activities, hydrological alteration, succession, invasive species, and drought, though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this species (NatureServe 2025, UTNHP 2025).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Pyrrocoma racemosa grows in a variety of open habitats, including alkaline flats, saline meadows, mountain meadows, open fields, around hot springs and boggy areas, marshes, coastal valleys, chaparral, and openings in conifer forests (FNA 2006, Jepson Flora Project 2026).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - ConiferWoodland - ConiferShrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceous
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDBog/fen
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
OregonSNRYes
IdahoS1Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
NevadaS3Yes
UtahSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber cropsUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
4 - Transportation & service corridorsUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
4.1 - Roads & railroadsUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
7 - Natural system modificationsUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
7.2 - Dams & water management/useUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8.1.1 - Unspecified speciesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
11 - Climate change & severe weatherUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
11.2 - DroughtsUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (6)
California (6)
AreaForestAcres
Boundary Peak (CA)Inyo National Forest210,884
Coyote SoutheastInyo National Forest53,159
Excelsior (CA)Inyo National Forest45,607
Glass MountainInyo National Forest52,867
Log Cabin SaddlebagInyo National Forest15,165
PaiuteInyo National Forest58,712
References (4)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2006b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 20. Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, part 7: Asteraceae, part 2. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxii + 666 pp.
  2. Jepson Flora Project (eds.) 2026. Jepson eFlora. Online. Available: https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/ (accessed 2026).
  3. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  4. Utah Natural Heritage Program (UNHP). 2025. Element Subnational Ranking Form: <i>Pyrrocoma racemosa</i> var.<i> paniculata</i> in Biotics 5 database. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia (accessed 13 February 2026).