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Heller's cudweed, Heller's rabbit-tobacco

California cudweed, California everlasting, California rabbit-tobacco, ladies' tobacco

Habit Annuals (fragrant), 30–100 cm; fibrous-rooted (roots relatively thick and lignescent). Annuals, biennials, or perennials, 20–40 cm; taprooted.
Stems

greenish, glandular-villous (without persistent tomentum, stipitate glands mostly 0.3–1 mm, often variable, stalks broadened toward bases, about equaling gland widths).

stipitate-glandular, sometimes lightly villous as well.

Leaf

blades mostly oblong-lanceolate, 2.5–7 cm × 4–20 mm, bases not clasping, not decurrent, margins flat, faces bicolor, abaxial white to gray with lightly persistent tomentum, adaxial green, both minutely stipitate-glandular.

blades mostly narrowly oblong-lanceolate, 4–10 cm × 5–10(–20) mm (relatively even-sized distally), bases auriculate-clasping to subclasping or not, decurrent (2–10 mm) or not, margins flat or slightly revolute, faces concolor, mostly green, stipitate-glandular, viscid, sometimes lightly villous as well.

Involucres

campanulate, 6–7 mm.

campanulo-globose, 5.5–7 mm.

Pistillate florets

83–107.

105–140.

Bisexual florets

9–15.

7–12.

Phyllaries

in 4–6 series, white (opaque, shiny), ovate to ovate-oblong or oblong, ± tomentose.

in 7–10 series, white (opaque, shiny or dull), broadly ovate to oblong-obovate, glabrous.

Heads

in corymbiform arrays.

in corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

ridged, smooth.

ridged, smooth.

2n

= 28.

Pseudognaphalium helleri

Pseudognaphalium californicum

Phenology Flowering Sep–Oct(–Nov). Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat Dry woods and openings, clay and sandy clay, sand hills Sandy canyons, dry hills, coastal chaparral
Elevation 10–300 m (0–1000 ft) 60–800 m (200–2600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; OK; SC; TN; TX; VA
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[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR; Mexico (Baja California)
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Discussion

Pseudognaphalium helleri and P. micradenium are similar to P. obtusifolium in most features; both differ in their glandular stems without the persistent whitish tomentum of P. obtusifolium.

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

Leaf insertion in Pseudognaphalium californicum is unusually variable: bases may be clasping to subclasping without decurrent margins or decurrent and not show any clasping tendency.

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

Source FNA vol. 19, p. 421. FNA vol. 19, p. 423.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Gnaphalieae > Pseudognaphalium Asteraceae > tribe Gnaphalieae > Pseudognaphalium
Sibling taxa
P. arizonicum, P. austrotexanum, P. beneolens, P. biolettii, P. californicum, P. canescens, P. jaliscense, P. leucocephalum, P. luteoalbum, P. macounii, P. micradenium, P. microcephalum, P. obtusifolium, P. pringlei, P. ramosissimum, P. roseum, P. saxicola, P. stramineum, P. thermale, P. viscosum
P. arizonicum, P. austrotexanum, P. beneolens, P. biolettii, P. canescens, P. helleri, P. jaliscense, P. leucocephalum, P. luteoalbum, P. macounii, P. micradenium, P. microcephalum, P. obtusifolium, P. pringlei, P. ramosissimum, P. roseum, P. saxicola, P. stramineum, P. thermale, P. viscosum
Synonyms Gnaphalium helleri, Gnaphalium obtusifolium var. helleri Gnaphalium californicum, Gnaphalium decurrens var. californicum
Name authority (Britton) Anderberg: Opera Bot. 104: 147. (1991) (de Candolle) Anderberg: Opera Bot. 104: 147. (1991)
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