Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ California Cudweed

Pseudognaphalium californicum

(DC.) A. Anderb.

California Cudweed

G5Secure Found in 55 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.148117
Element CodePDAST44040
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderAsterales
FamilyAsteraceae
GenusPseudognaphalium
Synonyms
Gnaphalium californicumDC.
Other Common Names
ladies' tobacco (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-12-22
Change Date1990-01-16
Edition Date2025-12-22
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Pseudognaphalium californicum is a wide-ranging annual, biennial, or perennial herb found in sandy canyons, dunes, dry hills, coastal chaparral, meadows, cliffs, coastal bluffs, riverbanks, marshes, and disturbed habitats, such as roadsides and clearcuts. It occurs in western North America from southwestern Washington south through western Oregon and throughout the California Floristic Province (except the Great Central Valley Region) to Baja California, Mexico. There are over 1300 occurrences, which face threats from development, rights-of-way maintenance, logging, invasive species, and other threats in some places. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, abundant habitat, and broad habitat preferences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Pseudognaphalium californicum occurs in western North America from southwestern Washington south through western Oregon and throughout the California Floristic Province (except the Great Central Valley Region) to Baja California, Mexico (FNA 2006, Jepson Flora Project 2025, OSU 2025, Weinmann et al. 2025). Range extent was estimated to be over 380,000 square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025 (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are over 1300 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is threatened by development, rights-of-way maintenance, logging, invasive species, and other threats in some places, though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this species (NatureServe 2025). However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range and large number of occurrences.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Pseudognaphalium californicum grows in sandy canyons, dunes, dry hills, coastal chaparral, meadows, cliffs, coastal bluffs, riverbanks, marshes, and disturbed habitats, such as roadsides and clearcuts (FNA 2006, OSU 2025, Weinmann et al. 2025).

Reproduction

This species flowers from April to July (FNA 2006).
Terrestrial Habitats
Shrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceousSand/duneCliff
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
OregonS2Yes
WashingtonSNRYes
CaliforniaSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
4 - Transportation & service corridorsUnknownUnknownUnknown
5 - Biological resource useUnknownUnknownUnknown
5.3 - Logging & wood harvestingUnknownUnknownUnknown
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1.1 - Unspecified speciesUnknownUnknownUnknown

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationANNUAL, BIENNIAL, PERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (55)
California (55)
AreaForestAcres
Arroyo SecoAngeles National Forest4,703
Barker ValleyCleveland National Forest11,940
Bear MountainLos Padres National Forest913
Black ButteLos Padres National Forest5,116
Black Mtn.Sequoia National Forest15,102
CalienteCleveland National Forest5,953
CamuesaLos Padres National Forest8,209
Chalk PeakLos Padres National Forest7,472
Circle MountainSan Bernardino National Forest6,375
City CreekSan Bernardino National Forest9,997
ColdwaterCleveland National Forest8,402
Crystal CreekSan Bernardino National Forest6,783
Cucamonga BSan Bernardino National Forest11,933
Cucamonga CSan Bernardino National Forest4,106
Cutca ValleyCleveland National Forest14,530
Dennison PeakSequoia National Forest6,293
DiableLos Padres National Forest19,597
Dry LakesLos Padres National Forest17,043
Eagle PeakCleveland National Forest6,481
Fish CanyonAngeles National Forest29,886
Garcia MountainLos Padres National Forest7,850
Hixon FlatSan Bernardino National Forest8,095
Horse Creek RidgeSan Bernardino National Forest8,969
JuncalLos Padres National Forest12,289
La BreaLos Padres National Forest14,031
LaddCleveland National Forest5,300
Magic MountainAngeles National Forest15,542
Malduce BuckhornLos Padres National Forest14,177
ManzanaLos Padres National Forest2,101
MatilijaLos Padres National Forest5,218
Mill PeakSan Bernardino National Forest7,884
MonoLos Padres National Forest28,141
MosesSequoia National Forest22,077
No NameCleveland National Forest4,897
NordhoffLos Padres National Forest12,031
Pine CreekCleveland National Forest503
Raywood Flat BSan Bernardino National Forest11,373
Red MountainAngeles National Forest8,034
Rouse HillSan Bernardino National Forest13,745
San DimasAngeles National Forest7,160
San Gabriel AddAngeles National Forest2,527
San SevaineSan Bernardino National Forest6,866
Santa CruzLos Padres National Forest21,182
Sespe - FrazierAngeles National Forest4,254
Sespe - FrazierLos Padres National Forest106,910
Sheep MountainAngeles National Forest21,098
Sill HillCleveland National Forest5,294
Slate Mtn.Sequoia National Forest12,299
Strawberry PeakAngeles National Forest7,245
TequepisLos Padres National Forest9,080
TrabucoCleveland National Forest23,341
TuleAngeles National Forest9,861
WestforkAngeles National Forest4,407
White LedgeLos Padres National Forest18,632
WildhorseCleveland National Forest1,483
References (11)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2006a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 19. Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, part 6: Asteraceae, part 1. Oxford University Press, New York. xxiv + 579 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  3. iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
  4. Jepson Flora Project (eds.) 2025. Jepson eFlora. Online. Available: https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/ (accessed 2025).
  5. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  6. Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
  7. NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  8. Oregon State University (OSU). 2025. Oregon Flora website. Oregon State University Herbarium at Oregon State University. Online. Available: https://oregonflora.org/ (accessed 2025).
  9. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  10. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).
  11. Weinmann, F., P.F. Zika, D.E. Giblin, B. Legler. 2002+. Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Washington State. University of Washington Herbarium. Online. Available: http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/waflora/checklist.php (Accessed 2025).