Whiteflower Goldenbush

Ericameria gilmanii is known only from Inyo County.

Plants 10–50 cm. Stems erect to ascending or divergent, much branched, sparsely hairy (hairs low, conic), resinous. Leaves ascending to spreading, distally recurved; blades narrowly obovate (sometimes conduplicate), 6–12 × 2–4 mm, midnerves raised adaxially, (margins often undulate) apices acute, mucronate to cuspidate, faces gland-dotted to resinous; sometimes with axillary fascicles of 1–7 leaves. Heads usually borne singly, sometimes in cymiform to racemiform arrays (4–6 cm wide). Peduncles 1–15 mm (bracts 0 or 1–4, scalelike). Involucres narrowly campanulate, 8–12 × 4–6 mm. Phyllaries 22–28 in 4–6 series, green to tan, squarrose or reflexed (outer), ovate to oblong, 2.5–7 × 0.6–1.5 mm, unequal, outer herbaceous or herbaceous-cuspidate, innermost chartaceous (bodies usually apically obtuse to retuse proximal to appendages), midnerves and subapical resin ducts darker, apices acute to acuminate, abaxial faces glabrous, resinous. Ray florets 4–7; laminae (white) 4–5.5 × 1–2 mm. Disc florets 10–18; corollas (white) 5.5–7 mm. Cypselae tan to brown, narrowly turbinate, 3.5–4 mm (5-ribbed), densely pilose, sericeous to villous; pappi whitish, 5–6.5 mm. 2n = 18.

Haplopappus gilmanii S. F. Blake, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 52: 97. 1939 (as Aplopappus)

Ericameria gilmanii is a rare North American species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae known by the common names Gilman's ericameria, Gilman's goldenbush, Gilman goldenweed, and whiteflower goldenbush. It is endemic to California, where it has been found in and east of the southern Sierra Nevada, in Inyo County and on Owens Peak in northeastern Kern County. It is a poorly known plant. There are six known populations, but only one has been observed in the last 20 years.

Ericameria gilmanii is a shrub growing up to 50 centimeters (20 inches) tall. The foliage is aromatic. The leaves are up to 1.2 centimeters (0.5 inches) long, curved backward, and glandular and resinous. The inflorescence is generally a single flower head, or sometimes more than one. The head has a bell-shaped base with curving phyllaries which are green to tan. The head contains a few white ray florets and has white disc florets at the center. The fruit is a hairy achene which is roughly a centimeter long including its pappus.

Ericameria gilmanii grows in forests. The one known population is on United States Forest Service land. Other occurrences presumed to still exist are also on federal land.