Anaphalis margaritacea (L.) Benth.

Anaphalis margaretacea was widely planted as an ornamental and escaped. It apparently naturalized from its native range in both Asia and North America; it is cultivated and naturalized in Europe.

Anaphalis margaritacea has the aspect of Pseudognaphalium; it differs in being subdioecious (polygamo-dioecious; the heads either staminate or primarily pistillate) and in its distinctive cypselar vestiture. It is further recognized by its combination of rhizomatous habit, subclasping-decurrent, bicolor, revolute leaves, and distally white phyllaries. Segregate species and varieties have been described among the North American plants (in addition to the two cited above), based on variation in habit, vestiture, and leaf morphology and density, but the variants appear to be more like a complex series of ecotypes rather than broader evolutionary entities.

Erect herbs, 30-80 cm tall, stem usually simple or feebly branched above, greyish or brownish tomentose. Leaves linear-lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, (1.5-) 3-10 x 0.6-2.0 cm, acuminate, sessile or narrowed at base, or somewhat subamplexicaul, densely cinnamomeus beneath, upper surface less densely cinnamomeus than beneath, to almost glabrous, dark green, mostly 3-veined. Capitula in branched terminal corymbs, yellow or white, 4-5 x 4-7 mm, sparsely hairy, predominantly female or male or rarely predominently male; peduncle 3-8 mm long, densely woolly; phyllaries 5-7 (-10)-seriate, white, brownish at base, outer small, middle ones longest, oblong-elliptic, 4-6 mm long, obtuse to acuminate, inner ones shortly apiculate with denticulate margins. Bisexual florets 30-40, filiform (functionally male) in predominantly male capitula, female florets 5-10, tubular; bisexual florets 2-3 and female florets 60-70 in predominantly female capitula. Corolla of female florets ± 3.5 mm long, of bisexual florets slightly longer than the female florets with distinct glandular lobes. Cypselas of female florets oblong, dark brown, papillose, 1-1.5 mm long; pappus white, 3-3.5 mm long. Cypselas of bisexual florets very small, ± 1 mm long. Papillose, dark brown.

Perennials; rhizomes relatively slender. Stems white, densely and closely tomentose, not glandular. Leaf blades 1–3-nerved, 3–10(–15) cm, bases subclasping, decurrent, margins revolute, abaxial faces tomentose or glabrescent (proximal leaves), not glandular or very sparsely and inconspicuously glandular, adaxial faces green, glabrate. Involucres 5–7 × 6–8(–10) mm. Phyllaries ovate to nearly linear (innermost), subequal to unequal, apices white, opaque. Cypselae 0.5–1 mm, bases constricted into stipiform carpopodia. 2n = 28.

N. America, N. W. Pakistan, Himalaya (Kashmir to Bhutan), Indo-China, China, Japan, E. Russia.

Distribution: N America, C Europe, E Russia, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Xizang, China to Korea.

1800-3100 m

Fl.Per.: July-September.

A widely distributed species. Grows in shady slopes, between 2000-4000 m; young leaves and plants are said to be eaten as a pot herb.

Gnaphalium margaritaceum Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 850. 1753; Anaphalis margaritacea var. occidentalis Greene; A. margaritacea var. subalpina (A. Gray) A. Gray