''Microseris bigelovii'' is a species of flowering plant in the family

Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...

known by the common name coastal silverpuffs. It is native to the west coast of North America, where its range extends from the southern tip of

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest ...

to the northern coast of

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Description

It is an annual herb growing up to 60 centimeters tall from a basal rosette of erect leaves; there is no true stem. Each leaf is up to 25 centimeters long and has edges divided into many lobes. The

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

is borne on an erect or curving peduncle. The flower head contains up to 100 yellow or orange ray florets. The fruit is an

achene An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple fruit, simple dry fruits, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and Dehi ...

with a brown, hairy to hairless body a few millimeters long. At the tip of the body is a large pappus made up of five long, bristly scales. Flowers bloom April to July.

Distribution and habitat

Its distribution is scattered, and the northernmost populations are genetically distinct from the southernmost.Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team
/ref> In

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

there are five or six occurrences known to remain, in Washington the single known occurrence has probably been

extirpated Local extinction, also extirpation, is the termination of a species (or other taxon) in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinctions. Local extinctions mark a chan ...

, and the

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

populations are imperiled.COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Coast Microseris ''Microseris bigelovii'' in Canada
/ref> The plant grows in rocky coastline

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

References

External links

Jepson Manual TreatmentUSDA Plants ProfilePhoto gallery
bigelovii Flora of the West Coast of the United States Flora of British Columbia Flora of California Flora of Oregon Natural history of the San Francisco Bay Area Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Cichorieae-stub