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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 (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
-
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant (basal)
- 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 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
- the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant (basal)
- 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 (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (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), #NAME? (code: #NAME?)
- 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.