Antennaria umbrinella
Brown pussytoes
Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native
Brown pussytoes is a California native perennial found in the Sierra Nevada and White and Inyo Mountains in dry sagebrush scrub and open yellow-pine forest at elevations of 1,800 to 3,900 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces pale yellow to pale brown flowers in heads 3 to 8, arranged in a cyme-like formation. Growing with stems 7 to 16 centimeters tall that have a slightly woody base and ascending stolons, it has a compact growth habit. Its basal leaves are spoon- to wedge-shaped, 10 to 17 millimeters long, and covered in a gray tomentose surface, giving the plant a soft, silvery appearance. The plant develops slender stolons and has narrow, acute phyllaries that contribute to its distinctive woodland meadow aesthetic.
Habitat: Uncommon. Dry sagebrush scrub, open yellow-pine forest
Bloom period: May-Aug
Elevation: 1800-3900 m
Bioregions: SNH, W&I
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.