Slender everlasting is one of the many everlasting or cudweed species that are so common in Southern California.  They derive their name 'everlasting' from the length of time they last as dried flowers or in arrangements.  Three of the subspecies of sp. canescens used to be considered as separate species, G. microcephalum, G. beneolens and G. thermale, but they have been lumped together by the Jepson Manual along with ssp. canescens which is a resident of the desert mountains.  The Jepson Manual describes them as biennials or short-lived perennials.  Slender ever-
lasting is probably often confused with fragrant everlasting because of its decurrent leaves and its sweetish odor, but my experience with it is that the fragrance is not as strong and fragrant everlasting is a somewhat taller, more bushy, and whiter-looking plant.  Ssp. thermale seems to grow to a higher elevation, and the heads and pistillate corollas are fractionally smaller, but otherwise the two taxa are very similar. Slender everlasting grows 2' to 2-1/2' tall with slender erect stems and is ± woolly throughout.  The leaves are linear to oblanceolate and are usually about 2" to 2-1/2" long, ascending and the upper decurrent, which means that they extend down the stem beyond the point of attachment.  The flowering heads usually have 3-seriate involucres about 1/8" high each containing anywhere from 20 to 40 flowers.  The phyllaries are thin and hyaline or shining, appearing papery.  Blooming from July to September, it grows mostly from 5000'-7500' in dry woods and pine forests in the San Jacinto, San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains.  These pictures were taken on the Fish Creek/Aspen Grove trail in the San Bernardinos.

Click here for Latin name derivations: 1) Gnaphalium  2) canescens  3) thermale.
Pronunciation: na-FAY-lee-um kan-ES-ens ther-MAY-lee.
Click here for Botanical Term Meanings.