Pseudognaphalium thermale

Small headed cudweed

Pseudognaphalium thermale (Small headed cudweed), native California perennial

(c) Shaan Aroeste, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence

Family: Asteraceae · Type: Perennial · Native

Pseudognaphalium thermale (Small headed cudweed) is a native California perennial in the Asteraceae family, recognized by mountain/forest habitat and densely bumpy seeds.

Small headed cudweed is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, high Cascades, central and southern Sierra Nevada, southern California mountains, and Peninsular Ranges in openings in forest, riverbeds, banks, and roadsides at elevations of 100 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces white to cream-colored flowers in small clustered heads with delicate, shiny phyllaries. Growing with loosely tomentose stems 20 to 70 centimeters tall, it has a distinctive scented herbage with an open, somewhat loose structure. Its leaves are narrowly oblanceolate, 3 to 8 centimeters long and 3 to 6 millimeters wide, with a soft, hairy surface and glandular undersides. The fruit is characterized by fine ridges and a densely roughened texture.

Identification and appearance

Key characters: 10 sympatric species; key features are mountain/forest habitat and densely bumpy seeds

Habitat and range

Habitat: Openings in forest, riverbeds, banks, roadsides

Elevation: 100-2500 m

California counties: San Bernardino, Fresno, Inyo, Monterey, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Kern, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lassen, Mendocino, Mono, Nevada, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Tulare, Butte, Riverside, Yuba, Placer, Tehama, Humboldt, Napa, Contra Costa, Amador, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Madera, Alameda, Marin, Alpine, Los Angeles, Del Norte, Modoc, Trinity, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Solano, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sacramento

Outside California: to British Columbia, Wyoming, Utah

Bloom period

Pseudognaphalium thermale blooms Jun-Sep.

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 thermale native to California?

Yes. Pseudognaphalium thermale is native to California (recorded as native).

When does Pseudognaphalium thermale bloom?

Pseudognaphalium thermale blooms Jun-Sep.

Where in California does Pseudognaphalium thermale grow?

Pseudognaphalium thermale occurs in San Bernardino, Fresno, Inyo, Monterey, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou and other counties, at elevations of 100-2500 m.

What plant family does Pseudognaphalium thermale belong to?

Pseudognaphalium thermale is in the Asteraceae family, genus Pseudognaphalium.

What habitat does Pseudognaphalium thermale grow in?

Pseudognaphalium thermale grows in Openings in forest, riverbeds, banks, roadsides.

Related species

Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.

All Pseudognaphalium species · All Asteraceae

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.