Stoloniferous pussytoes (Antennaria flagellaris) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 3

Species Information

Name and classification

Scientific name:
Antennaria flagellaris (A. Gray) A. Gray [1]
Synonyms :
Antennaria dimorpha var. flagellaris A. Gray
Common name:
Stoloniferous Pussytoes
Family:
Asteraceae (Compositae) Sunflower family
Major plant group:
Dicot flowering plant

Description

Antennaria flagellaris (A. Gray) A. Gray is a member of a genus of approximately 35 species mainly of North America but also found in South America (Cronquist 1994). The genus Antennaria belongs to the Inuleae tribe of the Asteraceae family. Antennaria has long been known for its taxonomic complexity, due to the existence of numerous apomictic clones that have been recognized as distinct species.

Fifteen species occur in British Columbia (Douglas 1998) and approximately 18 in Canada (Kartesz 1999). Antennaria flagellaris was first recorded in Canada by Douglas et al. (1998a).

Antennaria flagellaris is a stoloniferous, short-lived perennial from a fibrous root (Douglas 1998; Figure 1). The stolons are up to 10 cm long while the few central flowering stems are up to 3.5 cm tall. The numerous basal leaves and the few stem leaves are linear to linear-oblanceolate, silky woolly-hairy and 1-3 cm long. The flower heads are terminal with involucres of two types. The female involucres are 7-13 mm tall bracts that are tinged brown or reddish-brown, thinly woolly-hairy below. The male involucres are 4-7 mm tall translucent bracts that are brownish at the tips. The female flowers are 5-7 mm tall while the male flowers are 3-4.5 mm tall. The achenes are elliptic, warty and 2-3 mm long with a 6-8 mm tall pappus that has white, hairlike bristles.

Antennaria flagellaris is easily distinguished from other members of the genus in British Columbia by its conspicuous slender, leafless stolons. The species is easily overlooked, however, due to its small size and indistinct colour.

Figure 1. Illustration of Antennaria flagellaris; plant with plantlets reproduced at about ¾ life size (Line drawing by Elizabeth J. Steven in Douglas [1998]).

Figure 1.  Illustration of Antennaria flagellaris; plant with plantlets reproduced at about ¾ life size

[1] Taxonomy and nomenclature follow Douglas et al. (1998c, 1998d, 1999, 2001).

Page details

Date modified: