The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

gamochaeta pensylvanica, Pennsylvania cudweed, Pennsylvania everlasting, Pennsylvania everlasting-cudweed

Habit Annuals, 10–50 cm; taprooted. Annuals, 4–15 cm; taprooted.
Stems

erect to decumbent or procumbent, loosely arachnose-tomentose.

erect, densely and loosely gray-white tomentose-arachnose.

Leaves

basal and cauline, proximal usually present at flowering, blades spatulate to oblanceolate-obovate, 2–7 cm × 4–16 mm (becoming spatulate to oblanceolate bracts among proximal heads, surpassing glomerules, bases narrowed to petiolar regions, margins sinuate, apices often apiculate), faces concolor or weakly bicolor, loosely tomentose.

basal and cauline, basal mostly withering before flowering, blades oblanceolate, 1–3 cm × 2–6 mm (usually folded along midveins, bases subclasping, not auriculate; nearly unreduced among proximal heads, none longer than glomerules), faces concolor, tomentose-arachnose.

Involucres

cupulate-campanulate, 3–3.5 mm, bases sparsely arachnose.

campanulate, 3.5–4 mm, bases sparsely tomentose.

Florets

bisexual 3–4; all (or at least bisexual) corollas usually purplish distally.

bisexual 2–4; all corollas yellowish.

Phyllaries

in 3–4 series, outer ovate-triangular, lengths 1/2–2/3 inner, apices attenuate-apiculate, inner oblong, laminae often purple-tinged (at stereome), apices (transparent, sometimes golden) acute to obtuse.

in 4–5 series, outer narrowly ovate-triangular, lengths ca. 1/3 inner, apices acute to acute-acuminate, inner oblong, laminae tan to brownish (not purple), apices (brownish) rounded-apiculate.

Heads

in glomerules in continuous or interrupted, spiciform arrays 1–12 cm × 10–15 mm (pressed).

in continuous cylindric arrays 2–3(–4) cm × 10–12 mm (pressed).

Cypselae

(tan) 0.4–0.5 mm.

not seen.

2n

= 28.

Gamochaeta pensylvanica

Gamochaeta stachydifolia

Phenology Flowering Mar–Jun(–Aug). Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat Disturbed sites, exposed, moist soils, commonly partially shaded Hillsides, riparian woodlands, disturbed sites, sandy soils
Elevation 0–500 m [0–1600 ft] 30–500 m [100–1600 ft]
Distribution
from FNA
AL; CA; FL; GA; LA; MA; MD; MS; NC; OK; PA; SC; TX; VA; Mexico; Central America; South America; Europe; Asia; Africa; Australia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; South America [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Gamochaeta pensylvanica is recognized by its obovate-spatulate, loosely tomentose and concolor or weakly bicolor basal and proximal cauline leaves, and similarly shaped spreading bracts among the heads. Occasional plants appear intermediate between G. pensylvanica and G. antillana. The latter differs in its more erect stems, linear to oblanceolate basal and proximal cauline leaves, and more nearly continuous arrays of heads with linear to narrowly oblanceolate bracts.

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

Source FNA vol. 19, p. 437. Treatment author: Guy L. Nesom. FNA vol. 19, p. 437. Treatment author: Guy L. Nesom.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Gnaphalieae > Gamochaeta Asteraceae > tribe Gnaphalieae > Gamochaeta
Sibling taxa
G. antillana, G. argyrinea, G. calviceps, G. chionesthes, G. coarctata, G. purpurea, G. simplicicaulis, G. sphacelata, G. stachydifolia, G. stagnalis, G. ustulata
G. antillana, G. argyrinea, G. calviceps, G. chionesthes, G. coarctata, G. pensylvanica, G. purpurea, G. simplicicaulis, G. sphacelata, G. stagnalis, G. ustulata
Synonyms Gnaphalium pensylvanicum, Gnaphalium peregrinum Gnaphalium stachydifolium, Gnaphalium purpureum var. stachydifolium
Name authority (Willdenow) Cabrera: Bol. Soc. Argent. Bot. 9: 375. (1961) (Lamarck) Cabrera: Bol. Soc. Argent. Bot. 9: 382. (1961)
Web links