Antennaria racemosa
Encyclopedia
Antennaria racemosa is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family
known by the common name raceme pussytoes. It is native to western North America from British Columbia
and Alberta
to northern California
to Wyoming
. It grows in mountain forests, generally in moist, partially shaded areas, and often colonizes bare patches of mineral-rich soil, including disturbed areas. This is a glandular perennial herb which may be small, woolly, and matted to nearly hairless and erect to heights near half a meter. It forms basal patches of oval-shaped leaves 3 to 10 centimeters long, fuzzy on the undersides and shiny green above. The patches are connected with stolon
s covered in leaves. The erect stem bears an inflorescence
which can be shaped like a raceme
and is often dense, especially in higher elevations, containing several flower heads
. The species is dioecious
, with male and female plants producing different types of flowers in the heads. The fruit is an achene
with a body only about a millimeter long attached to a soft pappus
up to 7 millimeters long. The pappus catches the wind, which disperses
the seed. The plant also reproduces vegetatively
via its creeping stolons.
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 raceme 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...
and Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
to northern 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 Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. It grows in mountain forests, generally in moist, partially shaded areas, and often colonizes bare patches of mineral-rich soil, including disturbed areas. This is a glandular perennial herb which may be small, woolly, and matted to nearly hairless and erect to heights near half a meter. It forms basal patches of oval-shaped leaves 3 to 10 centimeters long, fuzzy on the undersides and shiny green above. The patches are connected with stolon
Stolon
In biology, stolons are horizontal connections between organisms. They may be part of the organism, or of its skeleton; typically, animal stolons are external skeletons.-In botany:...
s covered in leaves. The erect stem bears an 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...
which can be shaped like a raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
and is often dense, especially in higher elevations, containing several flower heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
. The species 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 and female plants producing different types of flowers in the heads. 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 body only about a millimeter long attached to a soft 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...
up to 7 millimeters long. The pappus catches the wind, which disperses
Biological dispersal
Biological dispersal refers to species movement away from an existing population or away from the parent organism. Through simply moving from one habitat patch to another, the dispersal of an individual has consequences not only for individual fitness, but also for population dynamics, population...
the seed. The plant also reproduces vegetatively
Vegetative reproduction
Vegetative reproduction is a form of asexual reproduction in plants. It is a process by which new individuals arise without production of seeds or spores...
via its creeping stolons.