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

felt-leaf everlasting, San Diego rabbit-tobacco, Wright's cudweed

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

Habit Perennials, (30–)50–100 cm; taprooted. Annuals, biennials, or perennials, 20–40 cm; taprooted.
Stems

persistently grayish tomentose, not glandular, (3–5 mm diam. near bases).

stipitate-glandular, sometimes lightly villous as well.

Leaf

blades narrowly oblanceolate, 2–5(–8) cm × 5–10(–18) mm (gradually smaller distally, becoming lanceolate), bases not clasping, not decurrent, margins flat, faces weakly bicolor, tomentose (adaxial less densely), not 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

turbinate-campanulate, 5–6 mm.

campanulo-globose, 5.5–7 mm.

Pistillate florets

29–49.

105–140.

Bisexual florets

5–9.

7–12.

Phyllaries

in 4–5 series, white (opaque, dull), ovate to oblong-ovate (inner narrower, all usually with filiform but definitely thickened keel and slight apiculum), tomentose (at least bases).

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

Heads

in loose, corymbiform arrays.

in corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

ridged, smooth to weakly papillate-roughened.

ridged, smooth.

2n

= 28.

= 28.

Pseudognaphalium microcephalum

Pseudognaphalium californicum

Phenology Flowering (Apr–)Jun–Aug(–Nov). Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat Grassy hillsides, gravelly canyon bottoms, chaparral, coastal sage scrub Sandy canyons, dry hills, coastal chaparral
Elevation 50–900(–1800) m (200–3000(–5900) ft) 60–800 m (200–2600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
CA; OR; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Pseudognaphalium microcephalum is characterized by stems commonly stiffly erect and slightly zigzag distally, relatively thick (3–5 mm diam. near bases), and closely grayish tomentose, leaves oblanceolate, sessile, sometimes clasping, not decurrent, and weakly bicolor, and heads usually in open, corymbiform arrays.

(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. 419. 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. leucocephalum, P. luteoalbum, P. macounii, P. micradenium, 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 microcephalum, Gnaphalium albidum, Gnaphalium canescens subsp. microcephalum, P. canescens subsp. microcephalum Gnaphalium californicum, Gnaphalium decurrens var. californicum
Name authority (Nuttall) Anderberg: Opera Bot. 104: 147. (1991) (de Candolle) Anderberg: Opera Bot. 104: 147. (1991)
Web links