Microseris laciniata
Encyclopedia
Microseris laciniata is a species of flowering plant in the aster family
known by the common name cutleaf silverpuffs. It is native to the western United States from Washington to northern California
and Nevada
, where it grows in forest and grassland habitat.
is borne on a tall, erect or curving peduncle
. The flower head
may be 3 centimeters long when in bud and wide when in bloom, bearing up to 100 or more long yellow ray florets.
The fruit is an achene
with a gray or brown body a few millimeters long. At the tip of the body is a large pappus
made up of 5 to over 20 long, hairy scales, each of which may exceed one centimeter in length.
There are four Microseris laciniata subspecies
.
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
known by the common name cutleaf silverpuffs. It is native to the western United States from Washington to northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, where it grows in forest and grassland habitat.
Description
It is a perennial herb growing up to a meter tall with a branching stem. The plentiful leaves are 10 to 50 centimeters long and variable in shape, with smooth, toothed, or lobed edges. The inflorescenceInflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is borne on a tall, erect or curving peduncle
Peduncle (botany)
In botany, a peduncle is a stem supporting an inflorescence, or after fecundation, an infructescence.The peduncle is a stem, usually green and without leaves, though sometimes colored or supporting small leaves...
. The flower head
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
may be 3 centimeters long when in bud and wide when in bloom, bearing up to 100 or more long yellow ray florets.
The fruit is an achene
Achene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
with a gray or brown body a few millimeters long. At the tip of the body is a large pappus
Pappus (flower structure)
The pappus is the modified calyx, the part of an individual disk, ray or ligule floret surrounding the base of the corolla, in flower heads of the plant family Asteraceae. The pappus may be composed of bristles , awns, scales, or may be absent. In some species, the pappus is too small to see...
made up of 5 to over 20 long, hairy scales, each of which may exceed one centimeter in length.
There are four Microseris laciniata subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
.