Arnica latifolia(Broadleaf Arnica)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Subalpine, alpine. Woodland openings and meadows. Summer.
Above: Stony Pass, July 7, 2015.
Left: Cross Mountain Trail, August 18, 2005.

Arnica latifolia is uncommon in the Four Corners area, and, in fact there are no records of it anywhere in Arizona and only a few records in New Mexico. 

A. latifolia is similar to Arnica cordifolia in many of its features but the two have a number of differences:
A. latifolia usually grows in open places; A. cordifolia usually grows in shady woods.
A. latifolia cauline leaves are usually sessile; A. cordifolia cauline leaves are usually petiolate.
A. latifolia leaves are not commonly cordate; A. cordifolia's leaves are almost always strongly cordate.
A. latifolia lower stem leaves have petioles shorter than the leaves; A. cordifolia's are longer.
A. latifolia phyllaries do not have a tuft of hairs at their tips; A. cordifolia's usually do.

Arnica latifolia and a number of other Arnicas shown on this website have lovely lemon-scented flowers.

Linnaeus named this genus in 1753 and A. latifolia was named by August Bongard in 1832 from a specimen collected by Mertens in Alaska. The word "Arnica" is considered by most botanical etymologists to be of unknown origin, but "arn" is Greek for "lamb" so perhaps the meaning is, "like lamb's skin," referring to the downy soft leaves. "Latifolia" is Latin for "broad leaf".

Arnica latifolia (Broadleaf Arnica)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Subalpine, alpine. Woodland openings and meadows. Summer.
Cross Mountain Trail, August 19, 2005.

Arnica latifolia (Broadleaf Arnica)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Subalpine, alpine. Woodland openings and meadows. Summer.
Cross Mountain Trail, August 19, 2005.

Pappus hairs are bright white.

Arnica latifolia (Broadleaf Arnica)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Subalpine, alpine. Woodland openings and meadows. Summer.
Cross Mountain Trail, August 19, 2005.

Phyllaries (the green underneath the yellow ray flowers) are of equal length, pointed at their tips, hairy, but lack a tuft of hairs at their tips.

Arnica latifolia (Broadleaf Arnica)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Subalpine, alpine. Woodland openings and meadows. Summer.
Cross Mountain Trail, August 19, 2005.

Upper stem leaves are usually sessile (no petiole); lower stem leaves have petioles shorter than the length of the leaves.