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common yellow chaenactis, yellow pincushion

Evermann's pincushion

Habit Plants 6–60 cm; proximal indument grayish to whitish, arachnoid to densely lanuginose, or glabrescent. Perennials, mostly 6–12 cm (cespitose or ± matted); proximal indument thinning with age, grayish, mostly arachnoid-sericeous to thinly lanuginose.
Stems

mostly 1–5(–12; sometimes ± horizontal);

branches proximal and, often, distal.

mostly 5–20+, ascending to erect.

Leaves

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

largest blades linear or ± elliptic, plane to 3-dimensional, succulent or not, (0–)1–2-pinnately lobed;

primary lobes 1–7 pairs, remote to ± congested, ultimate lobes ± plane, involute, twisted, and/or terete.

basal, 1–5 cm;

largest blades broadly ± elliptic, ± plane, 1-pinnately lobed;

lobes 2–5 pairs, remote, ± plane.

Peduncles

1–20(–30) cm, distally stipitate-glandular, ± villous, arachnoid-sericeous, lanuginose, and/or glabrescent.

mostly ascending to erect, 5–10 cm.

Involucres

± hemispheric to obconic or broadly cylindric.

± obconic.

Florets

corollas bright to dark yellow, 4–8 mm (inner);

peripheral corollas spreading, ± zygomorphic, enlarged.

Corollas

5–6.5 mm.

Phyllaries

longest 4.5–10 mm;

outer stipitate-glandular, ± villous, arachnoid-sericeous, lanuginose, and/or glabrescent in fruit, apices erect, blunt, ± rigid.

longest 8–12 mm;

outer predominantly closely lanuginose, sparsely, if at all, stipitate-glandular, apices erect, ± rigid.

Heads

(± radiant) mostly 1–20+ per stem.

1(–3) per stem.

Cypselae

3–9 mm (± terete);

pappi of (1–)4 scales in 1 series, or of (5–)8 scales in 2, abruptly unequal series, longest scales (1–)2–8 mm.

5–6.5 mm (eglandular);

pappi: longest scales 2.5–4.5 mm (lengths 0.4–0.8 times corollas).

2n

= 12.

= 12.

Chaenactis glabriuscula

Chaenactis evermannii

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Subalpine, usually decomposing granitic sand or gravel slopes, ridges, scree, talus, openings in or above conifer forests
Elevation 1200–3000 m (3900–9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; nw Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 5 (5 in the flora).

The diverse and intergrading forms here included in Chaenactis glabriuscula have been divided by P. Stockwell (1940) and subsequent workers into as many as four species and ten varieties. Chaenactis glabriuscula is known from the southern two-thirds of the Californian Floristic Province and adjacent desert edges. It has been reported in Massachusetts as a garden escape (variety unspecified); it is not expected to persist there outside cultivation.

Complete interfertility among the taxa recognized here as Chaenactis glabriuscula vars. glabriuscula, megacephala, and lanosa was demonstrated by P. Stockwell (1940). Intraspecific crosses involving C. glabriuscula var. orcuttiana were much less successful; C. glabriuscula var. heterocarpha was not tested. As noted by W. J. Hooker and G. A. W. Arnott ([1830–]1841) and D. W. Kyhos (1965), some forms of C. glabriuscula differ from C. stevioides or C. fremontii only in corolla color, which can be lost in older or poorly preserved specimens.

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

Chaenactis evermannii is known from mountains of central Idaho. Reports of it from Washington and California/Nevada (P. Stockwell 1940, some as C. nevadensis var. mainsiana) were based on specimens of C. thompsonii and C. alpigena, respectively; all three species are closely related.

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

Key
1. Pappi of (5–)8 scales in 2, abruptly unequal series
var. heterocarpha
1. Pappi of (1–)4(–5) scales in 1 series
→ 2
2. Proximal indument whitish, ± densely lanuginose; leaves ± basal (persistent)
var. lanosa
2. Proximal indument grayish, ± arachnoid, or glabrescent; leaves basal (withering) and cauline
→ 3
3. Largest leaf blades succulent, mostly 2-pinnately lobed; stems ± horizontal
var. orcuttiana
3. Largest leaf blades scarcely succulent, 1(–2)-pinnately lobed; stems ascending to erect
→ 4
4. Longest phyllaries 7–9 × 2–3 mm, outer glabrescent in fruit; pappi: lengths of longest scales ± 0.9(–1) times corollas
var. megacephala
4. Longest phyllaries 5–7 × 1–2 mm, outer (at least medially) ± arachnoid-sericeous and, often, ± stipitate-glandular in fruit; pappi: lengths of longest scales 0.4–0.7 times corollas
var. glabriuscula
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 411. FNA vol. 21, p. 408.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Chaenactidinae > Chaenactis > sect. Chaenactis Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Chaenactidinae > Chaenactis > sect. Macrocarphus
Sibling taxa
C. alpigena, C. artemisiifolia, C. carphoclinia, C. cusickii, C. douglasii, C. evermannii, C. fremontii, 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. cusickii, C. douglasii, 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. glabriuscula var. glabriuscula, C. glabriuscula var. heterocarpha, C. glabriuscula var. lanosa, C. glabriuscula var. megacephala, C. glabriuscula var. orcuttiana
Synonyms C. nevadensis var. mainsiana
Name authority de Candolle: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 5: 659. (1836) Greene: Leafl. Bot. Observ. Crit. 2: 224. (1912)
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