[Pussy-toes: The Genus Antennaria in 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

Cushion Pussytoes, Low Pussy-toes, 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)

Low pussy-toes observed near the Klickitat Breaks, Soda Springs Unit of the Klickitat Wildlife Area.........May 31, 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.


Staminate-flowered Cushion Pussytoes, Low Pussy-toes, 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)

Low pussy-toes, all with staminate flower heads, as seen atop the Columbia Hills.........May 1, 2005.

Pistillate flower head of Cushion Pussytoes, Low Pussy-toes, 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)

The photo above 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.

Staminate flower heads of Cushion Pussytoes, Low Pussy-toes, 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) - Staminate flower heads of Cushion Pussytoes, Low Pussy-toes, 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)

The photo above shows a close-up of low pussytoes with Idahoa scapigera and Sedum lanceolatum at its base........May 1, 2005. This view shows the staminate flower heads which are broader and shorter than the pistillate head seen above.

Cushion Pussytoes, Low Pussy-toes, 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) with staminate flower heads
A broad cushion of low pussytoes with staminate flower heads as seen at the eastern rim of Canyon Creek in the Klickitat Wildlife Area.........April 6, 2013.

Cushion Pussytoes, Low Pussy-toes, 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)

Low pussytoes in bud as seen along the eastern rim of Canyon Creek in the Klickitat State Wildlife Area.........March 21, 2014.

Cushion Pussytoes, Low Pussy-toes, 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)

Low pussytoes as seen high in the Columbia Hills State Park...........April 12, 2014. Staminate flower heads are shown in this view.

Paul Slichter