''Antennaria'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

dioecious Dioecy ( ; ; adj. dioecious, ) is a characteristic of certain species that have distinct unisexual individuals, each producing either male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproduction is ...

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

s in the family

Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...

, native to temperate regions of the

Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined by humans as being in the same celestial sphere, celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the Solar ...

, with a few species (''A. chilensis'', ''A. linearifolia'', ''A. sleumeri'') in temperate southern

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

; the highest species diversity is in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

. Common names include catsfoot or cat's-foot, pussytoes and everlasting. Different ''Antennaria'' species reach between 10 cm and 50 cm in height. The

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

are basal and often stem leaves. The name ''Antennaria'' refers to the projecting

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s seen on the male

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s of some species, resembling

insect Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...

antennae. ''Antennaria'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

species including ''

Vanessa virginiensis The American painted lady or American lady (''Vanessa virginiensis'')Coleophora pappiferella ''Coleophora pappiferella'' is a moth of the family Coleophoridae found in Europe. Description The wingspan is 11–14 mm. ''Coleophora pappiferella'' can only be reliably identified by dissection and microscopic examination of the genitali ...

'' (which feeds exclusively on ''A. dioica''), '' Schinia verna'' (which feeds on several ''Antennaria'' species).

Selected species

Hybrids

*''Antennaria'' × ''erigeroides'' Greene (pro sp.) *''Antennaria'' × ''foliacea'' Greene (pro sp.) *''Antennaria'' × ''macounii'' Greene (pro sp.) *''Antennaria'' × ''oblancifolia'' E.Nels. (pro sp.)

Gallery

File:Antennaria_dioica.jpg, ''Antennaria dioica'' File:Antennaria neglecta runners.JPG, Field pussytoes (''Antennaria neglecta'') in spring, with flowerbuds and runners

References

External links

Flora Europaea: ''Antennaria''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q602788 Asteraceae genera Dioecious plants