[Pussytoes: The Genus Antennaria East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]
Cushion Pussytoes, Low Pussytoes, Low Everlasting
Antennaria dimorpha
Synonyms: Antennaria dimorpha var. dimorpha, Antennaria dimorpha var. integra, Antennaria dimorpha var. latisquama, Antennaria dimorpha var. macrocephala, Antennaria dimorpha var. nuttallii, Antennaria latisquama, Antennaria macrocephala, Gnaphalium dimorphum
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The photo at left shows a close-up of the staminate flower heads of low pussytoes as seen atop Steptoe Butte in the Palouse Country of eastern Washington........April 29, 2006. The photo at right shows low pussytoes with staminate flower heads as seen south of Box Canyon Road near the southern boundary of the Simcoe Mountains Unit of the Klickitat Wildlife Area......April 15, 2021.
Characteristics:
Low pussytoes are perennial wildflowers with floral scapes arising up to 3 cm high from a branching, woody base. This species is not stoloniferous. The numerous basal and stem leaves are oblanceolate to linear-spatulate in shape, measuring 8-30 mm long and up to 5 mm wide. The leaves and stems are fairly densely covered with white woolly hairs.
The flower heads are solitary and fairly broad. The flowers are imperfect, with the staminate and pistillate flowers found on separate plants. The involucres of the staminate haeads are 5-7 mm high with ovate, obtuse bracts that are brownish. The pistillate involucres are 12-15 mm high with lanceolate to linear bracts that are brownish or reddish-brown tinged. The plants typically bloom in the Columbia River Gorge from April into May.
Habitat:
Low pussytoes are plants of dry open places in the foothills and lowlands.
Range:
Low pussytoes may be found from southern British Columbia south along the east side of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada to southern California, east to Montana, Nebraska, and Colorado.
In the Columbia River Gorge, Antennaria dimorpha is found between the elevations of 200'-3000' from east of Bingen, WA and on east.
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Low pussytoes beginning to bloom on slopes directly west and above the Cottonwood Canyon State Park campground........February 22, 2015.
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A female plant of low pussytoes at left showing the distinct long female flowerheads as seen at Silver Creek Marsh Campground, Fremont National Forest.........May 20, 2016. The photo at right shows male plants of low pussytoes observed on scabland soils along Box Canyon Road in the Simcoe Mountains Unit of the Klickitat Wildlife Area......May 1, 2022.
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The photo at left shows a close-up of the pistillate flower head of low pussytoes, which has involucral bracts 10-15 mm long and tinged at least in part with brown or reddish brown. The heads appear narrower and more elongated than those of the staminate heads. Photographed at Horsethief Butte, several miles northeast of The Dalles, OR.........April 24, 2006. The photo at right shows a pair of pistillate flower heads of low pussytoes as observed at Brooks Memorial State Park off US Highway 97, several miles south of Satus Pass......May 11, 2020.
A close-up of the staminate flower heads of low pussytoes as seen on scablands at the Bickleton Ridge Unit of the Klickitat Wildlife Area.......April 20, 2018.
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The photo above shows low pussy-toes as seen atop the Columbia Hills north of The Dalles, Oregon........May 1, 2005. The photo at right shows a close-up of low pussytoes with Idahoa scapigera and Sedum lanceolatum at its base.
Both views show the staminate flower heads which are broader and shorter than the pistillate head seen above.
Paul Slichter