[Pussytoes: The Genus Antennaria East of the Cascade Mts. of Oregon and Washington]

Field Pussytoes, Field Pussy-toes

Antennaria howellii var. neodioica

Synonym: Antennaria neglecta var. neodioica

Inflorescence of Field Pussytoes, Field Pussy-toes: Antennaria howellii ssp. neodioica (Synonym: Antennaria neglecta var. neodioica)

Close-up of the inflorescence of field pussytoes as seen along Canyon Creek in the Klickitat State Wildlife Area of south-central Washington............May 8, 2009. Note that the inflorescence is not truely racemose with the flower heads spaced out along the upper part of the stem, so this is not racemose pussytoes (Antennaria racemosa).
Characteristics:

Field pusy-toes are perennial wildflowers with floral scapes arising 20-30 cm high from leafy stolons of the previous year's growth. The stems are loosely covered with matted to tufted hairs. The basal leaves are ovate, obovate, or oblanceolate in outline, measuring 3-6 cm long. The lower surface is densely covered with white, matted hairs and the upper surface either entirely glabrous or with at least a few long hairs when young, depending on the variety (See varieties below.). The leaves of the stem are much narrower.

The inflorescence is fairly open and consists of several to over a dozen narrow flower heads. The involucres are 8-9 mm high with the ouer bracts lossely covered with woolly hairs, the innermost or upper bracts are glabrous. The lower bracts are tinged with brown or red near the base while the uppermost are whitish. The flowers are imperfect, with the staminate and pistillate flowers found on separate plants

Varieties of Howell's Pussytoes:

var. howellii - Upper surface of the leaf blades always green and lacking hairs, even when young.

var. neodioica (formerly var. attenuata) - Upper surface of the leaf blades initially sparsely long-hairy when young, later becoming completely glabrous with age.

Habitat:

Field pusstyoes may be found on sunny , rocky slopes and road cuts in forest openings.

Range:

Field pussytoes may be found from the Yukon east to Newfoundland and south to California and east to Virginia and Arizona.

Basal leaves of Field Pussytoes, Field Pussy-toes: Antennaria howellii ssp. neodioica (Synonym: Antennaria neglecta var. neodioica)

Close-up of the basal leaves of field pussytoes as seen along Canyon Creek in the Klickitat State Wildlife Area of south-central Washington............May 8, 2009. Note that there is a residue of matted white hairs on the upper leaf surface, a characteristic that separates this subspecies from the similar subspecies howellii which has glabrous leaves when young (See photos below.).

Basal and lower stem leaves of Field Pussytoes, Field Pussy-toes: Antennaria howellii ssp. neodioica (Synonym: Antennaria neglecta var. neodioica) - Basal and lower stem leaves of Field Pussytoes, Field Pussy-toes: Antennaria howellii ssp. neodioica (Synonym: Antennaria neglecta var. neodioica)

Close-ups of the basal and lower stem leaves of field pussytoes as seen along the valley trail about one-half mile uphill and northwest of the Painted Rocks trailhead, Little Spokane River Natural Area..........July 5, 2011. Note the numerous hairs on the upper surface of the leaves which give them a grayish appearance.
Paul Slichter