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Douglas' dusty maidens, hoary false yarrow

bighead dusty maidens, large-flowered chaenactis, Mojave pincushion

Habit Plants biennial or perennial, 5–60 cm. Plants annual, 2–30+ cm.
Stems

erect, floccose-tomentose, often glandular-puberulent distally.

erect or decumbent, lightly to densely floccose-tomentose.

Leaves

basal and cauline, narrowly lanceolate to oblanceolate, elliptic, or linear, 1–12 cm, 2-pinnately lobed; secondary lobes becoming inrolled and disc-like with age;

surfaces tomentose, petiolate.

basal and cauline, lanceolate or ovate, 1–5 cm, 1–2-pinnately lobed;

surfaces glabrous or tomentose, petiolate.

Involucres

obconic or campanulate, 8–15 mm.

obconic or campanulate, 10–17 mm.

Disc florets

corollas 5–8 mm, white, pink, or pale yellow, glabrous or glandular-puberulent; outer radially symmetric.

corollas night-blooming, 9–14 mm, cream or pink;

surfaces glandular-puberulent; outer radially symmetric.

Phyllaries

in 2–5 unequal series, linear to narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate;

surfaces cobwebby to woolly, stipitate-glandular.

in 3–4 unequal series, linear to narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate;

surfaces lightly or densely tomentose.

Fruits

5–8 mm;

surfaces strigose or glandular-puberulent;

pappi in 3–4 series of unequal scales.

5–7 mm;

surfaces strigose;

pappi in 2 series of unequal scales.

Heads

erect, peduncled.

usually erect, sometimes drooping in bud, peduncled.

2n

=12, 24, 36.

=12.

Chaenactis douglasii

Chaenactis macrantha

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Woodlands, shrublands, grasslands, dry hillsides, ridge tops, riverbanks, rock outcrops, disturbed areas. Flowering Apr–Sep. 0–2300 m. BR, BW, Casc, Col, ECas, Lava, Owy, Sisk. CA, ID, NV, WA; north to British Columbia, northeast to Alberta, east to SD, southeast to NM. Native.

Chromosome studies by Mooring (1980) show that this species varies from diploid to hexaploid, with intermediate numbers resulting from hybridization. As a result, morphological differences at the diploid level become mixed into a morphological continuum among the polyploids.

Shrublands, grasslands, open slopes and flats. Flowering May–Jun. 700–1400 m. BR, Owy. CA, ID, NV, WA; southeast to AZ. Native.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 219
Kenton Chambers
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 219
Kenton Chambers
Sibling taxa
C. alpina, C. cusickii, C. macrantha, C. nevii, C. stevioides, C. suffrutescens, C. xantiana
C. alpina, C. cusickii, C. douglasii, C. nevii, C. stevioides, C. suffrutescens, C. xantiana
Synonyms Chaenactis douglasii var. douglasii, Chaenactis douglasii var. glandulosa, Chaenactis douglasii var. montana, Chaenactis rubricaulis
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