Taxon Report

Chaenactis douglasii (Hook.) H. & A. var. alpina Gray

alpine dusty maidens

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Chaenactis douglasii var. alpina, commonly known as alpine dusty maidens, is a perennial herb in the Asteraceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Alpine boulder and rock field, growing at elevations from 2865 to 3400 meters. Chaenactis douglasii var. alpina is ranked 2B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Chaenactis douglasii (Hook.) H. & A. var. alpina Gray
Common Name:	alpine dusty maidens
Family:	Asteraceae
Element Code:	PDAST20065
USDA Plants Symbol:	CHDOA2
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Jul-Sep	Jul-Sep
Elevation:	2865-3400 (9400-11155)
General Habitats:	Alpine boulder and rock field
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.3
Global Rank:	G5T5
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.3 to 2B.3 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	12
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	2
Fair (C)	2
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	8

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Alpine (ALP), El Dorado (ELD), Inyo (INY), Mono (MNO), Tulare (TUL), Tuolumne (TUO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Caples Lake (3812061), Carson Pass (3811968), Ebbetts Pass (3811957), Freel Peak (3811978), Pickel Meadow (3811935), Rockbound Valley (3812082), Sirretta Peak (3511883), Sonora Pass (3811936), Telescope Peak (3611721)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	5
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	4	33 %
Foot traffic/trampling	3	25%
Over-collecting/poaching	2	16%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	2	16%
Vandalism/dumping/litter	1	8%
Other	1	8%

Notes



Intergrades downslope with var. douglasii. CA plants are atypical; plants more uniform outside CA. Possibly threatened by foot traffic. See Synoptical Flora of North America 1(2):341 (1884) for original description, and Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences II 5:699 (1895) for additional information.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 18 November 2025].