Flora of North America species comparison

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Pseudognaphalium leucocephalum

Pseudognaphalium californicum

white cudweed, white rabbit-tobacco

California cudweed, California everlasting, California rabbit-tobacco, ladies' tobacco
Habit Biennials or short-lived perennials, 30–60 cm; taprooted. Annuals, biennials, or perennials, 20–40 cm; taprooted.
Stems

densely and persistently white-tomentose, usually with stipitate-glandular hairs protruding through tomentum.

stipitate-glandular, sometimes lightly villous as well.
Leaf

blades (crowded, internodes mostly 1–3, sometimes to 10 mm) linear-lanceolate, 3–7 cm × 1–5(–6) mm, bases subclasping, not decurrent, margins strongly revolute, faces bicolor, abaxial densely white-tomentose, adaxial green, densely 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

broadly campanulate, 5–6 mm.

campanulo-globose, 5.5–7 mm.
Pistillate florets

66–85.

105–140.
Bisexual florets

(6–14, California)29–44.

7–12.
Phyllaries

in 5–7 series, bright white (opaque, dull), oblong to oblong-ovate, glabrous.

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.

= 28.

Pseudognaphalium leucocephalum

Pseudognaphalium californicum
Phenology Flowering (Jul–)Aug–Nov(–Dec). Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat Sandy or gravelly slopes, stream bottoms, arroyos, areas of oak-sycamore, oak-pine, to pine woodlands, commonly in riparian vegetation Sandy canyons, dry hills, coastal chaparral
Elevation 50–2100 m (200–6900 ft) 60–800 m (200–2600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NM; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Durango, Sinaloa, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Pseudognaphalium leucocephalum is similar to P. viscosum, which has shiny, hyaline, ovate-lanceolate phyllaries, 200–250 pistillate florets, (13–)16–29 bisexual florets, and papillate-roughened cypselae. Some plants of P. leucocephalum also appear to approach P. biolettii in general appearance, and it is possible that some of them may represent hybrids. Plants of P. biolettii differ from P. leucocephalum in their typically eglandular stems, broader, basally ampliate, clasping, more widely spaced, and less densely glandular leaves, and thinner, shiny phyllaries.

(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. 423. 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. helleri, P. jaliscense, 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 leucocephalum Gnaphalium californicum, Gnaphalium decurrens var. californicum
Name authority (A. Gray) Anderberg: Opera Bot. 104: 147. (1991) (de Candolle) Anderberg: Opera Bot. 104: 147. (1991)
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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