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- Pseudognaphalium macounii
Pseudognaphalium macounii — Macoun's rabbit-tobacco
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Facts
Macoun's rabbit-tobacco is an annual or biennial with a sweet smell. The Miwok used this species internally to treat colds and stomach ache and externally as a poultice to reduce swelling.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), forest edges
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
- 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
- basal: the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant
- 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
- 30–100 mm
- Disk flower number
- more than 50
-
Flowers
- Bract color
- the bracts are not colored or tinged with pink, red or purple
- Bract cycle number
- there are three or more cycles of bracts
- Bract outer side hair type
- the bracts are not hairy on their outer surface
- Bract outer side hairs
- the bracts are not hairy on their outer surfaces
- Bract shape
-
- the main bracts are oblong (roughly rectangular but rounded at the ends)
- the main bracts are ovate (egg-shaped)
- Bract spines
- the bracts have no spines
- Bract texture
-
- the bracts appear thin, flexible and nearly translucent
- the bracts have a similar texture to a leaf
- Bract tip color
- the tips are the same color as the center of the bract
- Bract tip extension appearance
- NA
- Bract tip extension edge
- NA
- Bract tip shape
-
- the tips of the bracts acute (have a sharp point)
- the tips of the bracts are obtuse (have a blunt point)
- the tips of the bracts are rounded
- Bracts
- the bracts in separate cycles are similar or gradually changing from the outer to inner cycles
- Disk flower color
- yellow
- Disk flower number
- more than 50
- Disk flower reproductive parts
-
- the disk flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- the disk flower has either only pollen- or only seed-producing parts
- Disk flower shape
- the disk flower is tube-shaped (cylindrical), or gradually widening like a funnel
- Flower head number
- each flowering stem has four or more flower heads on it
- 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 head position
- some or all the flower heads are grouped in clusters of two or more
- Flower head profile
-
- the disk is flat or nearly flat across the top
- the disk is rounded across the top
- Flower head shape
-
- the flower head is shaped like a cone with the point up
- the sides of the flower head are roughly parallel, like a cylinder
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has disk flowers only, and lacks the strap-shaped flowers
- Height of flower head base
- 4.5–5.5 mm
- Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
- NA
- Inflorescence shape
- the inflorescence is flat-topped in profile
- Inflorescence stem
- hairs are present on the stem of the inflorescence
- Ovary cross-section
-
- the ovary has five or more corners in cross-section
- the ovary is compressed (flattened)
- Ovary hair type
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary hairs
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary lines or ribs
- there are no lines or ribs visible on the ovary
- 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
- Peduncle hair type
- the hairs on the peduncles appear tangled or woolly
- Peduncle hairs
- the peduncles are hairy
- Peduncle orientation
- the flower heads are held upright, or slightly angled outwards
- Ray flower color
- NA
- Ray flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Ray flowers
- 0
- Ray length
- 0 mm
- Reproductive system
- some of the flowers on the plant have only carpels or stamens, while others have both carpels and stamens
- Scale tip
- NA
- Smaller bracts at base of bracts
- there is a cycle of much smaller bracts outside the cycle of larger and longer bracts
- Style branch number
- the style has two branches
- Style branches
- the style branch is wider at the tip and has a flattened end, or the style branches are wider at the tips and have flattened ends
-
Fruits or seeds
- Number of pappus parts
-
- 10
- 11 or more
- Seed hair tuft bases
- the pappus hairs are not attached to one another near the base
- Seed hair tuft details
- the pappus hairs are hooked or barbed
- 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
- Bract resin
- the bracts have resin or resin glands
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant has one or more free-standing stems
- Plant lifespan
-
- the plant is annual, it lacks evidence of previous years' growth
- the plant is biennial, it appears as either first year (non-reproductive) plants or second year plants with flowers or fruit
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Underground organs
- there is a thickened taproot 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
- basal: the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant
- Leaf blade base
- 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
- NA
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
- Leaf blade flatness
-
- the edges of the leaf are curled under
- the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges
- Leaf blade hairs
- the leaf blade has tangled or woolly-looking hairs
- Leaf blade length
- 30–100 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is oblanceolate (lance-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- Leaf blade tip
- the tip of the leaf blade is acuminate (tapers to a long, thin point)
- Leaf blade width
- 3–13 mm
- Leaf disposition
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have no leaf stalks, but attach directly to the stem
- Leaf stalk length
- 0 mm
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- 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
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- edges of forests
- man-made or disturbed habitats
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant has a pleasant odor, such as licorice, fruit or resin
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Stem bloom
- there is no powdery or waxy film on the stem
- Stem internode hair direction
- the hairs point mostly upwards to outwards
- Stem internode hair type
-
- at least some of the hairs on the stem are tangled, matted or woolly
- at least some of the hairs on the stem have glands
- Stem internode hairs
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
- Stem wings
- the stem has wings on it that run down the stem from the leaf nodes
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- extremely rare to rare (S-rank: S1S2)
- Vermont
- uncommon (S-rank: S3)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Pseudognaphalium macounii (Greene) Kartesz N
Macoun’s rabbit-tobacco. Gnaphalium decurrens Ives; G. macounii Greene; Pseudognaphalium viscosum, auct. non (Kunth) W.A. Weber • CT, MA, ME, NH, VT. Fields, roadsides, forest clearings, logging roads.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium:
- leaf blades not decurrent on the stem, obtuse to acute at the apex (vs. P. macounii, with leaf blades decurrent on the stem as thin wings, acuminate at the apex).
- Pseudognaphalium micradenium:
- leaf blades not decurrent on the stem, obtuse to acute at the apex (vs. P. macounii, with leaf blades decurrent on the stem as thin wings, acuminate at the apex).
Synonyms
- Gnaphalium decurrens Ives
- Gnaphalium macounii Greene
- Pseudognaphalium viscosum, auct. non (Kunth) W.A. Weber