Flora of North America species comparison

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Chaenactis fremontii

Chaenactis cusickii

desert pincushion, Fremont pincushion, Fremont's pincushion, pincushion flower

Cusick's pincushion, morning brides
Habit Plants 10–30(–40) cm; proximal indument glabrescent (early ± arachnoid, glabrous by flowering). Plants 3.5–10(–15) cm; proximal indument grayish, sparsely arachnoid, glabrescent.
Stems

mostly 1–12;

branches mainly proximal.

mostly 1–5;

branches mainly proximal.
Leaves

basal (withering) and ± cauline, 1–7(–10) cm;

largest blades linear and terete or ± elliptic and plane, ± succulent, 0–1-pinnately lobed;

lobes 1–2(–5) pairs, remote, ± terete.

basal (withering) and cauline (not notably smaller or sparser distally), 1–4 cm;

largest blades ± oblanceolate, plane, ± succulent, not lobed (margins entire or distally ± crenate).
Peduncles

2–8(–10) cm, distally usually ± stipitate-glandular and, sometimes, ± arachnoid (at least early, often glabrescent by fruit).

0.5–2.5 cm, glabrescent distally (sparsely arachnoid early; bracts 1–2, leaflike, surpassing heads).
Involucres

± hemispheric to obconic (bases pale and ± truncate in fruit).

± hemispheric to campanulate.
Florets

corollas white to pinkish, 5–8 mm (inner);

peripheral corollas spreading, zygomorphic, enlarged.

corollas (diurnal) white to pinkish, 3–7 mm (± equaling cypselae; anthers exserted);

peripheral corollas ± erect, actinomorphic, scarcely enlarged.
Phyllaries

longest 8–10(–12) mm;

outer usually glabrescent in fruit, apices erect, acute, ± rigid.

longest 6–9(–10) mm (surpassed by florets);

outer (uniformly) sparsely arachnoid to glabrescent in fruit, not stipitate-glandular (inner apically brownish-villosulous), apices usually erect, blunt, ± rigid.
Heads

(± radiant) mostly 1–5 per stem.

mostly 1–5(–12) per stem.
Cypselae

(3–)6–8 mm;

pappi of (1–)4(–5) scales in 1 series, longest scales 6–8.5 mm, lengths 1–1.3 times corollas (apices visible among corollas at flowering).

4–6 mm;

pappi of (8–)10–14 scales in 2–3 gradually unequal series, longest scales 1.5–3.5 mm.
2n

= 10.

= 12.

Chaenactis fremontii

Chaenactis cusickii
Phenology Flowering Mar–May. Flowering late Apr–Jun.
Habitat Sandy or gravelly soils, warm deserts, often growing through shrubs Light-colored shrink-swell clay soils from volcanic ash and tuff, semiarid shrublands
Elevation -10–1600 m (-0–5200 ft) 700–1300(–1800) m (2300–4300(–5900) ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; UT; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Chaenactis fremontii is often the most abundant spring wildflower in the lower Mojave and northern Sonoran deserts, where it is reported to be a significant food source for desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii Cooper). It also extends seaward into the southern San Joaquin Valley area of west-central California, often as hybrids with other taxa (see sectional discussion).

The involucre bases described above are characteristic of Chaenactis fremontii and can help separate it from some forms of C. stevioides.

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

Of conservation concern.

Chaenactis cusickii is known from Malheur County, Oregon, and adjacent Owyhee and Canyon counties, Idaho. Its relationship to other species is obscure.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 414. FNA vol. 21, p. 410.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Chaenactidinae > Chaenactis > sect. Chaenactis Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Chaenactidinae > Chaenactis > sect. Chaenactis
Sibling taxa
C. alpigena, C. artemisiifolia, C. carphoclinia, C. cusickii, C. douglasii, C. evermannii, C. glabriuscula, C. macrantha, C. nevadensis, C. nevii, C. parishii, C. santolinoides, C. stevioides, C. suffrutescens, C. thompsonii, C. xantiana
C. alpigena, C. artemisiifolia, C. carphoclinia, 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
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 19: 30. (1883) A. Gray: in A. Gray et al., Syn. Fl. N. Amer. ed. 2. 1(2): 452. (1886)
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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