Antennaria dioica, (L.) Gaertner

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1976, Flora Europaea. Volume 4. Plantaginaceae to Compositae (and Rubiaceae), Cambridge University Press : 131-132

1. A. dioica (L.) Gaertner , Fruct. Sem. Pl. 2: 410 (1791).

Mat-forming, tomentose perennial up to 2O(-3O) cm, with woody stock and slender, branched stolons with numerous leaf-rosettes. Basal leaves up to 35 x 8 mm, obovate-spathulate, obtuse, apiculate or emarginate; lower surface densely tomentose, upper surface usually glabrous or subglabrous. Upper cauline leaves with a short, green, glabrous mucro. Capitula 2-8(-12), usually subsessile but peduncles occasionally up to 4 cm. Upper half of involucral bracts white or pink, broadly obovate in male plants, oblong-obovate in female plants. 2n = 28. Heaths, dry grassland and sandy or stony places. Much of Europe, but local in the south and only on mountains. Al Au Be Br Bu Cz Da Fe Ga Ge Hb He Ho Hs Hu It Ju No Po Rm Rs (N, B, C, W, K, E) Su.

Sexual, the male and female plants being about equally frequent.

Plants from Scotland with slightly wider leaves densely tomentose on both surfaces, at least when young, have been called var. hyperborea (D. Don) DC. They usually grow with typical plants and their status requires investigation. Similar plants occur elsewhere, particularly in the Alps.

A. hibernica Br. -Bl., Vegetatio 3: 298 (1951), originally described from Ireland and since reported from several places in N. & N.W. Europe, cannot be satisfactorily separated from 1 on any of its several supposedly diagnostic characters.