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white cudweed, white rabbit-tobacco

Pringle's cudweed, Pringle's rabbit-tobacco

Habit Biennials or short-lived perennials, 30–60 cm; taprooted. Annuals or perennials, 30–80 cm; taprooted.
Stems

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

lightly white-tomentose and/or glabrescent and green, minutely stipitate- or sessile-glandular beneath other induments.

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 (not crowded, internodes mostly 5+ mm) oblanceolate-spatulate to obovate- or petiolate-spatulate, 5–10 cm × 10–20 mm (distal oblong to lanceolate or oblanceolate, 2–8 cm, slightly smaller), bases not clasping and decurrent 3–20 mm or clasping and decurrent 1–3 mm or not decurrent at all, margins flat to slightly revolute, faces bicolor, abaxial thinly white-tomentose, adaxial minutely stipitate- or sessile-glandular, otherwise glabrous or glabrate (bases of hairs persistent, enlarged).

Involucres

broadly campanulate, 5–6 mm.

campanulate to turbinate, 3.5–4 mm.

Pistillate florets

66–85.

15–40(–64).

Bisexual florets

(6–14, California)29–44.

(1–)2–6.

Phyllaries

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

in 2–3 series, silvery white to tawny, oblong to oblong-ovate, (hyaline, shiny), glabrous.

Heads

in corymbiform arrays.

in loose, corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

ridged, smooth.

ridged, papillate-roughened.

2n

= 28.

Pseudognaphalium leucocephalum

Pseudognaphalium pringlei

Phenology Flowering (Jul–)Aug–Nov(–Dec). Flowering (Aug–)Sep–Nov.
Habitat Sandy or gravelly slopes, stream bottoms, arroyos, areas of oak-sycamore, oak-pine, to pine woodlands, commonly in riparian vegetation Rock outcrops and slopes, crevices and thin soil on cliffs, oak or oak-pine woodlands
Elevation 50–2100 m (200–6900 ft) 1500–2300 m (4900–7500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NM; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Durango, Sinaloa, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango, Sonora)
[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.)

Source FNA vol. 19, p. 423. FNA vol. 19, p. 422.
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. californicum, P. canescens, P. helleri, P. jaliscense, P. leucocephalum, P. luteoalbum, P. macounii, P. micradenium, P. microcephalum, P. obtusifolium, P. ramosissimum, P. roseum, P. saxicola, P. stramineum, P. thermale, P. viscosum
Synonyms Gnaphalium leucocephalum Gnaphalium pringlei
Name authority (A. Gray) Anderberg: Opera Bot. 104: 147. (1991) (A. Gray) Anderberg: Opera Bot. 104: 147. (1991)
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