Taxon Report

Eriophyllum congdonii Bdg.

Congdon's woolly sunflower

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Eriophyllum congdonii, commonly known as Congdon's woolly sunflower, is a annual herb in the Asteraceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, Lower montane coniferous forest, and Valley and foothill grassland, growing at elevations from 500 to 1900 meters. Eriophyllum congdonii is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Eriophyllum congdonii Bdg.
Common Name:	Congdon's woolly sunflower
Family:	Asteraceae
Element Code:	PDAST3N030
USDA Plants Symbol:	ERCO16
Synonyms/Other Names:	Eriophyllum nubigenum var. congdonii

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual herb
Blooming Period: Apr-Jun	Apr-Jun
Elevation:	500-1900 (1640-6235)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, Lower montane coniferous forest, Valley and foothill grassland
Microhabitat:	Metamorphic, Rocky
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	CR
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	SB_UCSC; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	21
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	5
Good (B)	4
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	12

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Mariposa (MPA)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Buckingham Mtn. (3711957), El Portal (3711967), Kinsley (3711968), Wawona (3711956)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	6
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	7	33 %
Agriculture	4	19%
Road/trail construction/maint.	4	19%
Biocides	3	14%
Logging	3	14%
Mining	2	9%
Non-native plant impacts	1	4%

Notes



Known only from the Merced River drainage. Potentially threatened by development, road maintenance, and non-native plants. See Botanical Gazette 27:449-450 (1899) for original description.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 28 October 2025].