Curlycup Gumweed has curved,
sticky bracts at the base of the flower heads. Gumweed is common on dry sites.
Often thought of as a weed, it is a native plant
Compare to Grindelia subalpina.
Leaves are the most useful method to separate the species. Teeth on leaves of
G. subalpina are spaced further apart, are pointed and point outwards
from the margin. Teeth on G. squarrosa are close together, somewhat rounded
and point toward the leaf tip. Despite the name Subalpine Gumweed, G. subalpina
occurs down to the plains and elevation is not a good method for identifying the
species.
