Antennaria dimorpha
Encyclopedia
Antennaria dimorpha is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family
known by the common name low pussytoes. It is native to western North America from British Columbia
to California
to Nebraska
, where it is generally found in dry areas. This is a small mat-forming perennial herb growing in a flat patch from a thick, branching caudex
. The spoon-shaped leaves are up to about a centimeter long and green but coated with long, gray hairs. The erect inflorescence
s are only a few centimeters tall. Each holds a single flower head
lined with dark brown and green patched phyllaries
. It is dioecious
, with male plants bearing heads of staminate
flowers and female plants bearing heads of larger pistillate
flowers. The fruit is an achene
with a long, soft, barbed pappus
.
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
known by the common name low pussytoes. It is native to western North America from British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, where it is generally found in dry areas. This is a small mat-forming perennial herb growing in a flat patch from a thick, branching caudex
Caudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
. The spoon-shaped leaves are up to about a centimeter long and green but coated with long, gray hairs. The erect inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s are only a few centimeters tall. Each holds a single flower head
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
lined with dark brown and green patched phyllaries
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
. It is dioecious
Plant sexuality
Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. This article describes morphological aspects of sexual reproduction of plants....
, with male plants bearing heads of staminate
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
flowers and female plants bearing heads of larger pistillate
Gynoecium
Gynoecium is most commonly used as a collective term for all carpels in a flower. A carpel is the ovule and seed producing reproductive organ in flowering plants. Carpels are derived from ovule-bearing leaves which evolved to form a closed structure containing the ovules...
flowers. The fruit is an achene
Achene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
with a long, soft, barbed pappus
Pappus (flower structure)
The pappus is the modified calyx, the part of an individual disk, ray or ligule floret surrounding the base of the corolla, in flower heads of the plant family Asteraceae. The pappus may be composed of bristles , awns, scales, or may be absent. In some species, the pappus is too small to see...
.