In 2007 I was on a canoe trip down the Colville River, north of the Brooks Range, Alaska. I took the picture of this flower around 30 miles inland from the Arctic Ocean. It was growing in a silt area, very little other vegetation around, at the base of a 4-ft. bank of fine wind-blown sand. Toward the river from it was all sand. I have found plants in my book with that type of leaf, but the flowers were small tubular ones. I have not been able to find anything that looks like that flower. Thank you everyone who has assisted me in these flower identifications in the past. Dickie Byrd
My first guess is yellow chamomile (Anthemis tinctoria), even though I am not sure. Usually it looks quite different in Europe, however, with longer ray flowers and smaller leaves. Nevertheless the species seems to be rather variable.
Checked up in USDA Plants Profiles - it isn't Tanacetum bipinnatum (the only Tanacetum native in AK) as that has flowerheads in corymbs not singly, and neither can it be Anthemis tinctoria, as that is only introduced in AK; given the circumstances of finding in a very remote location, anything non-native is highly unlikely. Certainly something allied to those genera, but searching through the 477 Asteraceae genera listed by USDA for other options is more than I want to do!!
Thank you Ron. I am still looking through the Aster family but still have a long way to go. I have a couple more leads to look up also. Dickie Byrd
Thank you for all your trobule and effors Michael. I had looked up Tanacetum and found just about the same thing you stated above. I was going to look up a few more of the Tanacetum but you have relieved me of having to do that. I am still looking through the Asteraceae but as you say, it is a large undertaking. Dickie Byrd
Thank you Robert. I have looked up some of the Chamomile and found some that look close but don't quite match up. Either the leaf structure differs or the ray flowers are different. With you suggestion, I will look at that family a bit closer. Dickie Byrd
Thank you Debby. I have not looked for it in the yarrow family. I have some home repairs to get done before cold weather sets in, but this evening I will see what I can find in the yarrows. Dickie Byrd
Debbie, I spent some time looking at various Yarrow's on the Internet. As far as I can see all of the Yarrow have multiple stems at the top with multiple flower heads on each stem. These appear as a half-ball made up of many small flowers. This plant was definately a single-stalk type. There were numerous plants in the immediate area. Thank your for trying. I looks like I am going to have to keep looking. I do have another source. When I finish getting all of these Colville River pictures finished, (I have done 1110 of them so far and only have a few hundred left), I will put all my unknown flowers, fossil plants, fossil bones and fossil seashells onto a CD and take it out to the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. I am sure they will have someone out there that can help me. Dickie Byrd
I look forward to your finding out what your mystery plant is and letting us know. It will be a relief. Thanks for your patient pursuit.
I finally found someone here in Alaska to assist me with these flowers. Carolyn Parker has identified this flower as Chrysanthemum bipinnatum ssp. bipinnatum (=Tanacetum bipinnatum ssp. bipinnatum). A big thanks to everyone for helping me with this. Dickie L Byrd
So my first guess was right after all!! Odd that it should have just a single flowerhead, maybe something to do with growing in an arctic climate.
