Pseudognaphalium microcephalum
Wright's cudweed
(c) Shaan Aroeste, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Pseudognaphalium microcephalum (Wright's cudweed) is a native California perennial in the Asteraceae family, recognized by unscented nature and ridged flower bracts.
Wright's cudweed is a California native perennial found in coastal and southern California bioregions including San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains, coastal southern California, northern Channel Islands, western Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges in grassy hillsides, gravelly canyon bottoms, chaparral, and coastal-sage scrub at elevations below 2,250 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces white flowers in loose, flat-topped clusters with 5 to 6 millimeter wide involucres. Growing with erect stems 30 to 100 centimeters tall that are persistently covered in soft white felt-like hairs, it develops a dense, somewhat sprawling habit. Its leaves are narrowly oblanceolate, 2 to 5 centimeters long and 5 to 10 millimeters wide, gradually becoming smaller toward the stem tips and clasping the stem with slightly different colored upper and lower surfaces. The fruit is slightly ridged and smooth to weakly textured.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 10 sympatric species; key features are unscented nature and ridged flower bracts
Habitat and range
Habitat: Grassy hillsides, gravelly canyon bottoms, chaparral, coastal-sage scrub
Elevation: < 2250 m
California counties: Ventura, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Riverside, San Bernardino, Alameda, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Amador, Butte, El Dorado, Fresno, Humboldt, Kern, Lassen, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Siskiyou, Shasta, Sierra, Sonoma, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Napa, Lake, Orange, San Mateo, Stanislaus, San Benito, Tehama
Outside California: Baja California
Bloom period
Pseudognaphalium microcephalum blooms Jun-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Anaphalis: Pseudognaphalium has branched, open flower clusters; Anaphalis has dense, flat-topped clusters and noticeably papery white bracts.; vs Helichrysum: Pseudognaphalium has small, clustered woolly heads; Helichrysum has larger, more colorful papery flower heads often used in dried arrangements.; vs Artemisia: Pseudognaphalium has woolly white leaves and papery flower heads; Artemisia has aromatic gray-green leaves and tiny greenish flowers.; vs Salvia: Pseudognaphalium has papery flower heads in the Asteraceae; Salvia has tubular lipped flowers typical of mints with square stems.; vs Erigeron: Pseudognaphalium has papery heads without obvious petals; Erigeron has clear white or colored ray petals around each flower head.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pseudognaphalium microcephalum native to California?
Yes. Pseudognaphalium microcephalum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Pseudognaphalium microcephalum bloom?
Pseudognaphalium microcephalum blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Pseudognaphalium microcephalum grow?
Pseudognaphalium microcephalum occurs in Ventura, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Riverside, San Bernardino, Alameda, Calaveras and other counties, at elevations of < 2250 m.
What plant family does Pseudognaphalium microcephalum belong to?
Pseudognaphalium microcephalum is in the Asteraceae family, genus Pseudognaphalium.
What habitat does Pseudognaphalium microcephalum grow in?
Pseudognaphalium microcephalum grows in Grassy hillsides, gravelly canyon bottoms, chaparral, coastal-sage scrub.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-06
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.