Antennaria neglecta

A plant of road and forest edges on thin soils. The distinctive flower heads of Antennaria leads to the common name for the genus. Seven distinct species/subspecies are listed in the NY Flora Atlas for the state, and distinguishing among them is tricky. Photos above include 3 with identification clues provided by Arieh Tal: Long, flat stolons are produced early in season. The basal leaves are small with 1 prominent vein. Upper surface leaf hairs may fall off by late season. The small stem leaves have soft, paper-like tips. (I.e., leaf tips not hard points.)  To help identify Antennaria species in the field, check the gender of all of the colonies located in a particular population. In many instances, depending on the species, only plants with female (pistillate) heads are present.