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Antennaire de Howell, everlasting pussytoes, Howell's pussytoes, small pussytoes

Photo is of parent taxon

Antennaire pétaloïde, Howell's pussytoes, petaloid Howell's pussytoes, petaloid pussytoes, small pussytoes

Habit Gynoecious (staminate plants very uncommon). Plants 8–35 cm.
Plants

(6–)8–35 cm (stems sometimes stipitate-glandular).

Stolons

1–9(–12) cm.

4–9 cm (leaves along stolons smaller than in rosettes at ends).

Basal leaves

1-nerved, spatulate to oblanceolate, spatulate-obovate, narrowly to broadly ovate, or cuneate-oblanceolate, 20–48(–65) × 2.5–20 mm, tips mucronate, faces abaxially tomentose, adaxially green-glabrous or gray-pubescent.

1(–3)-nerved, cuneate-oblanceolate, spatulate, or spatulate-obovate (without distinct petioles), 15–45(–65) × 5–20 mm, tips mucronate, faces abaxially tomentose, adaxially gray-pubescent to floccose-glabrescent.

Cauline leaves

linear, 8–40 mm, distal sometimes flagged (apices acute).

linear, 10–35 mm, mid and distal flagged.

Involucres

staminate 6–6.5 mm;

pistillate 6–11 mm.

staminate (uncommon) 6–6.5 mm;

pistillate 7–11 mm.

Corollas

staminate 3–4 mm;

pistillate 3.5–6.5(–8) mm.

staminate 3–4 mm;

pistillate 4–6.5(–8) mm.

Phyllaries

(bases sometimes rose) distally white, cream, or light brown.

distally white or cream.

Heads

3–15 in corymbiform arrays.

4–10(–15) in corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

0.8–2 mm, ± papillate;

pappi: staminate 4–4.5 mm;

pistillate 5.5–9 mm.

0.8–1.7 mm, minutely papillate;

pappi: staminate 4–4.5 mm;

pistillate 5.5–8 mm.

2n

= 56, 84, 140 (under A. neodioica).

= 56, 84 (under A. neodioica).

Antennaria howellii

Antennaria howellii subsp. petaloidea

Phenology Flowering mid spring–early summer.
Habitat Pastures, dry fields, openings in woodlands and forests, and rock barrens
Elevation 0–2200 m (0–7200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; CO; CT; DE; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SD; TN; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; CT; DE; IL; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MT; NC; ND; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SD; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; SPM
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 4 (4 in the flora).

The Antennaria howellii (previously A. neodioica) polyploid complex is highly variable morphologically; four more or less distinct subspecies can be recognized within it. The sexual progenitors of the complex are A. neglecta, A. plantaginifolia, A. racemosa, and A. virginica (see R. J. Bayer 1985). Antennaria marginata may also be a minor contributor to the origins of the complex. A. Cronquist (H. A. Gleason and Cronquist 1991) included members of this complex in A. neglecta; I maintain, because these apomicts are of hybrid polyploid origin from among multiple sexual progenitors, they best not be included within the circumscription of any one sexual progenitor (Bayer 1989d).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Subspecies petaloidea is most common in the eastern half of the range of Antennaria howellii and is frequent as far west as British Columbia and Washington. Its primary sexual progenitors include A. plantaginifolia and A. neglecta (R. J. Bayer 1985).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Basal leaves green-glabrous adaxially
→ 2
1. Basal leaves pubescent adaxially (sometimes glabrescent with age)
→ 3
2. Basal leaves 1-nerved, 20–40 × 6–9 mm; distal cauline leaves flagged; phyllaries distally white or cream
subsp. canadensis
2. Basal leaves 1–3-nerved, 25–40 × 9–12 mm; distal cauline leaves not flagged; phyllaries distally light brown or white
subsp. howellii
3. Basal leaves spatulate to narrowly or broadly obovate (petiolate); stolons 3–8(–12) cm (leaves along stolons almost equal to those in rosettes at ends)
subsp. neodioica
3. Basal leaves cuneate-oblanceolate, spatulate, or spatulate-obovate (without distinct petioles); stolons 4–9 cm (leaves along stolons smaller than in rosettes at ends)
subsp. petaloidea
Source FNA vol. 19, p. 403. FNA vol. 19, p. 405.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Gnaphalieae > Antennaria Asteraceae > tribe Gnaphalieae > Antennaria > Antennaria howellii
Sibling taxa
A. alpina, A. anaphaloides, A. arcuata, A. argentea, A. aromatica, A. corymbosa, A. densifolia, A. dimorpha, A. dioica, A. flagellaris, A. friesiana, A. geyeri, A. lanata, A. luzuloides, A. marginata, A. media, A. microphylla, A. monocephala, A. neglecta, A. parlinii, A. parvifolia, A. plantaginifolia, A. pulchella, A. pulcherrima, A. racemosa, A. rosea, A. rosulata, A. soliceps, A. solitaria, A. stenophylla, A. suffrutescens, A. umbrinella, A. virginica
A. howellii subsp. canadensis, A. howellii subsp. howellii, A. howellii subsp. neodioica
Subordinate taxa
A. howellii subsp. canadensis, A. howellii subsp. howellii, A. howellii subsp. neodioica, A. howellii subsp. petaloidea
Synonyms A. neglecta subsp. howellii, A. neglecta var. howellii, A. neodioica subsp. howellii A. neodioica var. petaloidea, A. appendiculata, A. concolor, A. neglecta var. petaloidea, A. neglecta var. subcorymbosa, A. neodioica subsp. petaloidea, A. neodioica var. petaloidea, A. pedicellata, A. petaloidea, A. petaloidea var. novaboracensis, A. petaloidea var. scariosa, A. petaloidea var. subcorymbosa, A. stenolepis
Name authority Greene: Pittonia 3: 174. (1897) (Fernald) R. J. Bayer: Brittonia 41: 397. (1989)
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