Flora of North America species comparison

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Psilocarphus oregonus

Psilocarphus tenellus

Oregon woolly marbles, Oregon woolly-heads, Oregon woollyheads or woolly marbles, woolly marbles

slender woolly-heads, slender woolly-marbles
Habit Plants silvery to whitish, densely sericeous to somewhat lanuginose. Plants greenish to grayish, arachnoid to ± sericeous.
Stems

(1–)2–10, ascending to ± prostrate;

proximal internode lengths mostly 0.5–1.5(–2) times leaf lengths.

(1–)2–10, ascending to ± prostrate;

proximal internode lengths mostly 1–2(–3) times leaf lengths.
Receptacles

unlobed.

unlobed.
Heads

± spheric, largest 4–6 mm.

± spheric, largest 3–5.5 mm.
Cypselae

narrowly ± cylindric, terete, 0.6–1.2 mm.

narrowly obovoid, somewhat compressed, 0.7–1.2 mm.
Capitular

leaves ± erect, appressed to heads, linear to narrowly oblanceolate, widest in distal 2/3, longest 12–20 mm, lengths mostly 6–12 times widths, (3–)3.5–5 times head heights.

leaves ± spreading, mostly not appressed to heads, spatulate to obovate, widest in distal 1/3, longest 6–15 mm, lengths mostly 2–5 times widths, 1.5–2.5(–3) times head heights.
Pistillate

paleae individually visible through indument, longest mostly 1.5–2.7 mm.

paleae individually visible through indument, longest mostly 1.5–2.7 mm.
Staminate

corollas 0.7–1.4 mm, lobes mostly 4.

corollas 0.8–1.5 mm, lobes mostly 5.

Psilocarphus oregonus

Psilocarphus tenellus
Phenology Flowering and fruiting late Mar–mid Aug. Flowering and fruiting late Mar–early Aug.
Habitat Seasonally inundated or flooded clay soils (vernal pool margins, drainages, moist rocky slopes) Dry or seasonally moist, barren to wooded slopes, flats, often disturbed sites (foot paths, road beds, burns), sometimes near vernal pools toward s
Elevation 10–1800(–2400) m (0–5900(–7900) ft) 0–2100 m (0–6900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; OR; WA; BC; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Psilocarphus oregonus occurs from west-central California through most of Oregon to southeastern Washington, western Idaho, and northern Nevada. Relatively narrow-leaved, montane forms of P. tenellus account for reports of P. oregonus from the southern Sierra Nevada to Baja California; further study may show these to be intermediates between the two taxa.

A malformed plant collected in Merced County, California, appears to have been a sterile hybrid between P. oregonus and Hesperevax caulescens (J. D. Morefield 1992c).

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

Psilocarphus tenellus is relatively common in the Californian Floristic Province from northwestern Baja California to southwestern Oregon; northward it is scattered to northern Idaho and Vancouver Island, British Columbia. It has been of conservation concern in Canada (J. M. Illingworth and G. W. Douglas 1994b).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 19, p. 459. FNA vol. 19, p. 459.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Gnaphalieae > Psilocarphus Asteraceae > tribe Gnaphalieae > Psilocarphus
Sibling taxa
P. brevissimus, P. chilensis, P. elatior, P. tenellus
P. brevissimus, P. chilensis, P. elatior, P. oregonus
Name authority Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 341. (1840) Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 341. (1840)
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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