Antennaria rosea

Antennaria rosea is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name rosy pussytoes.[4] Other common names include cat's foot and mountain everlasting.[5] The second part of its scientific name, rosea, is Latin for pink.[6] It is widespread across much of Canada including all three Arctic territories, as well as Greenland, the western and north-central United States, and the Mexican state of Baja California.[7][8]

Antennaria rosea
Conservation status
Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Antennaria
Species:	A. rosea
Binomial name
Antennaria rosea Greene
Synonyms[2]
Synonymy Antennaria acuminata Greene Antennaria alborosea A.E.Porsild ex Porsild Antennaria chlorantha Greene Antennaria formosa Greene Antennaria hendersonii Piper Antennaria imbricata E.E.Nelson Antennaria lanulosa Greene Antennaria oxyphylla Greene Antennaria speciosa E.Nelson Antennaria arida E.E.Nelson, syn of subsp. arida Antennaria scariosa E.E.Nelson, syn of subsp. arida Antennaria viscidula (E.E.Nelson) A.Nelson ex Rydb., syn of subsp. arida Antennaria albicans Fernald, syn of subsp. confinis Antennaria angustifolia Rydb., syn of subsp. confinis Antennaria breitungii A.E.Porsild, syn of subsp. confinis Antennaria brevistyla Fernald, syn of subsp. confinis Antennaria concinna E.E.Nelson, syn of subsp. confinis Antennaria confinis Greene, syn of subsp. confinis Antennaria elegans A.E.Porsild,[3] syn of subsp. confinis Antennaria incarnata A.E.Porsild, syn of subsp. confinis Antennaria laingii A.E.Porsild, syn of subsp. confinis Antennaria leontopodioides (Willd.) Cody 1957 not (Willd.) Nakai 1952, syn of subsp. confinis Antennaria leuchippi Porsild, syn of subsp. confinis Antennaria sedoides Greene, syn of subsp. confinis Antennaria sordida Greene 1899 not Sch. Bip. 1854, syn of subsp. confinis Antennaria steetziana Turcz., syn of subsp. confinis Antennaria subviscosa Fernald, syn of subsp. confinis Antennaria tomentella E.E.Nelson, syn of subsp. confinis Filago leontopodioides Willd., syn of subsp. confinis Gnaphalium leontopodioides (Willd.) Willd., syn of subsp. confinis Leontopodium leontopodioides (Willd.) Beauverd, syn of subsp. confinis Leontopodium sibiricum Cass., syn of subsp. confinis Antennaria affinis Fernald, syn of subsp. pulvinata Antennaria albescens (E.E.Nelson) Rydb., syn of subsp. pulvinata Antennaria fusca E.E.Nelson, syn of subsp. pulvinata Antennaria gaspensis (Fernald) Fernald, syn of subsp. pulvinata Antennaria isolepis Greene, syn of subsp. pulvinata Antennaria maculata Greene, syn of subsp. pulvinata Antennaria manicouagana P.Landry, syn of subsp. pulvinata Antennaria peasei Fernald, syn of subsp. pulvinata Antennaria pulvinata Greene, syn of subsp. pulvinata Antennaria sansonii Greene, syn of subsp. pulvinata Antennaria straminea Fernald, syn of subsp. pulvinata

Antennaria rosea is a plant of many habitats, from dry to wet climates and low elevation to very high. It is a very morphologically diverse species; individuals can look very different. It is polyploid and exhibits apomixis; most all the plants are female and they reproduce asexually.[9][4]

This herbaceous perennial grows to a height of 10 to 40 centimeters (4 to 15+1⁄2 in). It has a network of short stolons by which it spreads, its method of vegetative reproduction. It forms a basal patch of woolly grayish leaves 1 to 4 cm long. Blooming early in summer,[10] the inflorescence contains several flower heads in a cluster. Each head is lined with wide, pointed phyllaries which are often rose in color, the trait that gives the species its name, but they may also be white, yellowish, or brownish. The species is dioecious, but since most of the individuals are female, most bear flower heads containing pistillate flowers. The fruit is an achene with a body less than 2 millimeters long and a pappus which may be 6 or 7 mm long. The plant often produces fertile seeds, but most individuals in most populations are clones.[11] Plants are sometimes fertilized with pollen from other Antennaria species, which may bring new genes into an A. rosea population, increasing the genetic diversity amongst the clones.[11][4]

In the UK Antennaria rosea has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[5]

Subspecies[2][4]

• Antennaria rosea subsp. arida (E.E.Nelson) R.J.Bayer
• Antennaria rosea subsp. confinis (Greene) R.J.Bayer
• Antennaria rosea subsp. pulvinata (Greene) R.J.Bayer
• Antennaria rosea subsp. rosea