Mule Ears at the base of Olympus

Mule Ears (Wyethia amplexicaulis) are easy to recognize amongst the countless other yellow composites by their telltale huge leathery sharp-pointed leaves. Mule Ears is the most common among related Wyethia species of the Rocky Mountains. The genus was named after an early-XIXth century trapper, and the species name means "wrapped around stem" in Latin.

Wasatch Foothills, 6/1/08