Asteraceae : Antennaria neglecta
Files
Download Seed: The achenes are yellowish brown in color and 1.2-1.5 mm long. (77 KB)
Download Seedling: Two month old seedling grown in research greenhouses on SDSU campus. (73 KB)
Download Vegetative: The basal leaves are white beneath and a dark green on the upper surface. (115 KB)
Download Flowering: The flower heads with involucral bracts 5-10 mm long. (990 KB)
Download Fruiting: The achenes of field pussytoes develop in late April and are only 1.2 to 1.5 mm long. (1.2 MB)
Family Name
Asteraceae
Common Name
Field pussytoes
Description
Antennaria neglecta is a perennial stoloniferous herb that forms mats of dioecious colonies. The basal and stolon leaves are 1-nerved, green above with white hairs covering the lower side, 1-3 cm long and less than 1.5 cm wide. The erect flowering male or female plants have stems that are 6-25 cm tall and covered with white hairs, having thin leaves tipped by a flat, often curled appendage. The heads are usually clustered in dense capitate to open cymes and have narrow involucral bracts, 5-7 mm long, the outer bracts are brown below and scarious white above. The pappus is longer than the stigmas in female plants. The achenes are slightly tapered at the ends and 1.2-1,5 mm long. Field pussytoes blooms from March through June in pastures, prairies and open woodlands throughout South Dakota.
Horticulture Notes
Seed Collection: Collect seed in late May to June. Germination: Seeds are dormant when first collected. Planting in the fall are cold treatment with 1 mM ethephon will encourage germination.
Vegetative Propagation: Colonies can be divided,
Soils: Rocky, clayey, or sandy
Light: Full sun
Water: Tolerates dry conditions very well
Additional Notes
Field pussytoes are found both east and west river in South Dakota. The plant is appears to produce allelopathic compounds that reduce the height of surrounding plants, making large patches fairly easy to see. Field pussytoes attract native flies and bees as pollinators,