Flora of North America species comparison

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Chaenactis douglasii

Chaenactis alpigena

chaenactis, Douglas' dusty maidens, Douglas' dustymaiden, hoary chaenactis, hoary false-yarrow, hoary pincushion

Sharsmith or southern Sierra or mountain pincushion, Sharsmith pincushion, southern Sierra chaenactis, southern Sierra pincushion
Habit Biennials or perennials, (2–)5–50(–60) cm (rarely slightly woody or flowering first year, sometimes cespitose or ± matted); proximal indument thinning with age, grayish, mostly arachnoid-sericeous to thinly lanuginose. Perennials, 2–7 cm (cespitose or ± matted); proximal indument thinning with age, grayish to yellowish, lanuginose (sometimes glabrescent).
Stems

1–25+, erect to spreading.

mostly 5–15+, erect to prostrate.
Leaves

basal, or basal (sometimes withering) and ± cauline, (1–)2–12(–15) cm;

largest blades ± elliptic or slightly lanceolate to ovate, ± 3-dimensional, usually 2-pinnately lobed;

primary lobes (4–)5–9(–12) pairs, ± congested, scarcely imbricate, ultimate lobes ± involute and/or twisted.

basal, 1–2.5(–3.5) cm;

largest blades linear or broadly elliptic to slightly obovate, ± plane or 3-dimensional, (0–)1–2-pinnately or -subpalmately lobed;

primary lobes 2–7 pairs, ± congested, ultimate lobes ± plane to involute and twisted.
Peduncles

mostly ascending to erect, 1–10 cm.

mostly prostrate, (0.5–)2–7(–10) cm.
Involucres

obconic to ± hemispheric.

obconic to ± cylindric.
Corollas

5–8 mm.

5.5–8 mm.
Phyllaries

longest 9–15(–17) mm;

outer usually stipitate-glandular (sometimes sparsely or obscurely, rarely eglandular) and, often, arachnoid to lanuginose and, sometimes, sparsely villous, apices usually ± squarrose, pliant.

longest 9–14 mm;

outer ± lanuginose, not stipitate-glandular, apices erect, ± rigid.
Heads

1–25+ per stem.

1 per stem.
Cypselae

5–8 mm (usually sparsely glandular amidst other indument);

pappi: longest scales 3–6 mm.

5–8 mm (eglandular);

pappi: longest scales 5–8 mm (lengths 0.9–1 times corollas).

Chaenactis douglasii

Chaenactis alpigena
Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat Open, loose, subalpine to alpine granitic sand, gravel, scree
Elevation 2200–3900 m (7200–12800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; ND; NM; NV; OR; SD; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC
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[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Chaenactis douglasii is widespread and variable (see discussion under var. douglasii).

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

Chaenactis alpigena is known from the central and southern Sierra Nevada and adjacent northern White Mountains. It is sometimes cultivated in rock gardens and may be found beyond its native range. It appears to be sister to C. thompsonii and/or C. evermannii.

Chaenactis alpigena shows clinal variation; northward the leaves tend to be ± plane, (0–)1-subpalmately lobed, lobes 2–5 pairs, ± plane; southward the leaves tend to be ± 3-dimensional, 1–2-pinnately lobed, primary lobes 4–7 pairs, ultimate lobes ± involute, twisted. Leaves of intermediate forms tend to be ± plane, 1-pinnately lobed, lobes mostly 4–5 pairs, ± plane. The variation is gradual and does not support recognition of infraspecific taxa. Throughout its range, occasional plants of C. alpigena are green and glabrate.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Leaves basal (sometimes withering) and ± cauline; plants not or scarcely cespitose, not matted; stems usually 1–5(–12); heads (1–)2–25+ per stem
var. douglasii
1. Leaves strictly basal; plants cespitose or ± matted; stems (1–)10–25+; heads 1(–2) per stem
var. alpina
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 405. FNA vol. 21, p. 408.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Chaenactidinae > Chaenactis > sect. Macrocarphus Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Chaenactidinae > Chaenactis > sect. Macrocarphus
Sibling taxa
C. alpigena, C. artemisiifolia, C. carphoclinia, C. cusickii, C. evermannii, C. fremontii, C. glabriuscula, C. macrantha, C. nevadensis, C. nevii, C. parishii, C. santolinoides, C. stevioides, C. suffrutescens, C. thompsonii, C. xantiana
C. artemisiifolia, C. carphoclinia, C. cusickii, C. douglasii, C. evermannii, C. fremontii, C. glabriuscula, C. macrantha, C. nevadensis, C. nevii, C. parishii, C. santolinoides, C. stevioides, C. suffrutescens, C. thompsonii, C. xantiana
Subordinate taxa
C. douglasii var. alpina, C. douglasii var. douglasii
Synonyms Hymenopappus douglasii, Macrocarphus douglasii
Name authority (Hooker) Hooker & Arnott: Bot. Beechey Voy., 354. (1839) Sharsmith: Contr. Dudley Herb. 4: 319, plate 12, fig. a. (1955)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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