Flora of North America species comparison

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Chaenactis thompsonii

Chaenactis nevii
Chaenactis thompsonii

Thompson's pincushion
Chaenactis nevii

John Day pincushion, John Day's pincushion, Nevius' chaenactis
Habit Perennials, 10–30 cm (not or scarcely cespitose, not matted); proximal indument thinning with age, grayish, arachnoid-sericeous to thinly lanuginose. Plants 10–30 cm; proximal indument greenish to grayish, stipitate-glandular and, sometimes, sparsely arachnoid or villous.
Stems

mostly 5–15+, ascending to erect.

mostly 1–3;

branches mainly distal.
Leaves

mostly cauline, 2–5 cm;

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

lobes mostly 2–5 pairs, remote, ± plane.

basal (withering) and cauline, 2–5 cm;

largest blades ± elliptic, ± plane to 3-dimensional, not succulent, 1–2-pinnately lobed;

primary lobes mostly 3–8 pairs, ± remote, ultimate lobes ± plane to involute.
Peduncles

ascending to erect, 2–5 cm.

1–6 cm, distally stipitate-glandular and, sometimes, ± arachnoid to villous.
Involucres

± obconic.

± hemispheric to campanulate.
Florets

corollas bright yellow, 4–6.5 mm;

peripheral corollas ± erect, actinomorphic, scarcely enlarged.
Corollas

7–9 mm.

Phyllaries

longest (10–)12–15 mm;

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

longest 6–9 mm;

outer predominantly stipitate-glandular and, sometimes, ± arachnoid to villous in fruit, apices ± erect, acute, rigid.
Heads

mostly 1–3 per stem.

mostly 3–9 per stem.
Cypselae

7–9 mm (eglandular);

pappi: longest scales 3.5–5 mm.

3.5–6 mm (compressed);

pappi 0 or coroniform (of ± 10 scales, longest 0.1–0.5 mm).
2n

= 12.

Chaenactis thompsonii

Chaenactis nevii
Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering late Apr–mid July.
Habitat Rocky or gravelly serpentine slopes, scree, talus, openings in or above conifer forests Nearly barren, heavy clay soils from volcanic ash and tuff, sometimes disturbed or moist sites
Elevation (900–)1200–2200 m [(3000–)3900–7200 ft] 400–1000 m [1300–3300 ft]
Distribution
map from FNA
WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
map from FNA
OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Chaenactis thompsonii appears to be sister to C. evermannii; it is known from the mountains of central and northwestern Washington. The similar habits of C. thompsonii and C. ramosa (= C. douglasii var. douglasii) appear to result from convergent evolution in the distinctive habitat of their type localities (Wenatchee Mountains), not from a close genetic relationship as suggested by Cronquist.

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

Chaenactis nevii is known from the John Day Basin area in Gilliam, Grant, Jefferson, Wasco, and Wheeler counties. This odd and isolated species combines traits of C. artemisiifolia (sect. Acarphaea) and C. glabriuscula, and might be descended from their common ancestor.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Chaenactidinae > Chaenactis > sect. Macrocarphus Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Chaenactidinae > Chaenactis > sect. Chaenactis
Sibling taxa
C. alpigena, 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. xantiana
C. alpigena, C. artemisiifolia, C. carphoclinia, C. cusickii, C. douglasii, C. evermannii, C. fremontii, C. glabriuscula, C. macrantha, C. nevadensis, C. parishii, C. santolinoides, C. stevioides, C. suffrutescens, C. thompsonii, C. xantiana
Name authority Cronquist: in C. L. Hitchcock et al., Vasc. Pl. Pacif. N.W. 5: 123, fig. [p. 125]. (1955) A. Gray: Proc. Amer Acad. Arts 19: 30. (1883)
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 407. Treatment author: James D. Morefield. FNA vol. 21, p. 411. Treatment author: James D. Morefield.
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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