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- Antennaria neglecta
Antennaria neglecta — field pussytoes
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Facts
Field pussytoes does not tolerate shading well, so it often found in open woods and fields. Livestock do not like to eat this species.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), cliffs, balds, or ledges, meadows and fields, ridges or ledges, woodlands
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has disk flowers only, and lacks the strap-shaped flowers
- Ray flower color
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- at least a part of the plume is made up of fine bristles
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Leaf blade length
- 1.5–65 mm
- Disk flower number
-
- 1-5
- 11-20
- 21-50
- 6-10
- more than 50
-
Flowers
- Bases of bract appendages
- NA
- Bract cycle number
- there are three or more cycles of bracts
- Bract tip color
- the tips are a different color from the center of the bract
- Disk flower color
- white
- Disk flower lobe number
- 5
- Disk flower number
-
- 1-5
- 11-20
- 21-50
- 6-10
- more than 50
- Disk flower reproductive parts
- the disk flower has either only pollen- or only seed-producing parts
- Flower head outer flowers
- at the outer edge of the flower head, the flowers have no enlarged lobe or strap, and are of similar size as those in the center of the disk
- Flower head platform
- the base has no bristles or papery scales
- Flower head platform surface
- NA
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has disk flowers only, and lacks the strap-shaped flowers
- Height of flower head base
- 4–10 mm
- Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
- NA
- Inflorescence shape
-
- the inflorescence is flat-topped in profile
- the inflorescence is not flat-topped but appears rounded, with some flower heads distinctly higher than others
- Ovary attachment
- the ovary is attached at or near the base
- Ovary beak
- there is no beak on the ovary
- Ovary cross-section
- the ovary has five or more corners in cross-section
- Ovary hair type
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary hairs
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary profile
- in profile, the ovary is oblong (roughly rectangular but rounded at the ends)
- Ovary surface
- the ovary surface is textured with tiny points, bumps or wrinkles
- Ray flower color
- NA
- Ray flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Ray flowers
- 0
- Ray length
- 0 mm
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers on some plants have carpels, while all the flowers on other plants have stamens
- Scale tip
- NA
- Smaller bracts at base of bracts
- there is no smaller, outer cycle of bracts
-
Fruits or seeds
- Ovary beak length
- 0 mm
- Ovary length in developed fruit
- 0.9–1.4 mm
- Seed hair tuft bases
- the pappus hairs are attached to one another near the base
- Seed hair tuft details
- the pappus hairs are smooth and plain
- Seed hair tuft length
- 3.5–9.5 mm
- Seed hair tuft tips
- the pappus hairs are slender
- Seed hairs uniform
- all the pappus hairs are approximately the same length
- Seed tuft scale number
- 0
- Seed tuft type
- the pappus is made of very fine hairs or bristles
- Top of disk flower ovary
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- at least a part of the plume is made up of fine bristles
-
Glands or sap
- Leaf blade glands
- the leaf blades have no glandular (translucent) dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant has one or more free-standing stems
- Horizontal rooting stem
- there are stolons on some plants
- Plant lifespan
- the plant is perennial, it shows evidence of previous year's leaves, stems or stem bases
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Underground organs
- there are only slender roots on the plant
-
Leaves
- Final leaf segment length (compound lvs only)
- 0 mm
- Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)
- 0 mm
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
- the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
-
- the leaf has a distinct petiole
- the leaf has no petiole
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- Leaf blade bloom
- the underside of the leaf has no noticeable bloom
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
- Leaf blade hairs
- the leaf blade has tangled or woolly-looking hairs
- Leaf blade length
- 1.5–65 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)
- the leaf blade is oblanceolate (lance-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- the leaf blade is spatulate (spoon-shaped; narrow near the base, then suddenly widening to a rounded tip)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- there is no noticeable color variation on the upper surface of the leaf
- Leaf blade veins
- the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base towards the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 6–18 mm
- Leaf disposition
- the lower leaves are larger, toothier, and/or on longer stalks than the upper leaves
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
-
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- the leaves have no leaf stalks, but attach directly to the stem
- Leaf tip extension
- the leaf has a thin, papery extension
- Leaf tufts in axils
- there are no clusters of smaller leaves
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaflet number
- 0
- Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
- Teeth per side of leaf blade
- 0
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- cliffs, balds, or ledges
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
- ridges or ledges
- woodlands
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant does not have much of an odor
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles
- Leaves on stem
- the flowering stem has no leaves above the base
- Stem bloom
- there is no powdery or waxy film on the stem
- Stem internode hair type
- at least some of the hairs on the stem are tangled, matted or woolly
- Stem internode hairs
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
- Stem wings
- the stem does not have wings on it
Wetland status
Occurs only in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: UPL)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- widespread (S-rank: S5)
- Connecticut
- widespread (S-rank: S5)
- Massachusetts
- widespread (S-rank: S5)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
2. Antennaria neglecta Greene N
Field pussytoes. Antennaria campestris Rydb.; A. neglecta Greene var. campestris (Rydb.) Steyermark • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Dry fields, roadsides, woodlands, rock balds, ledges.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Antennaria howellii:
- plants without the two defining features of A. neglecta: with either the upper stem leaves merely pointed or new rosette leaves bright green and without hairs on the upper surface (vs. A. neglecta, which are plants combining the following 2 features: upper stem leaves terminated by a flat or curling, weak-textured appendage and new rosette leaves gray-green with woolly hairs on the upper surface).
Synonyms
- Antennaria campestris Rydb.
- Antennaria neglecta var. campestris (Rydb.) Steyermark