San Joaquin silverpuffs
Microseris campestris Greene
Microseris campestris is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, known as San Joaquin silverpuffs. It is endemic to California, found in the San Joaquin Valley, Sierra Nevada foothills, and central California Coast Ranges. It grows in grasslands, open slopes, and occasionally near vernal pools.
Description
This annual plant ranges from 5 to 50 cm in height and is taprooted. It has basal leaves with linear to narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate blades, 3-22 cm long, with entire, dentate, or pinnately lobed margins. The peduncles are erect or ascending and ebracteate. Involucres are ovoid to fusiform, 5-20 mm long. Phyllaries are glabrous on the abaxial face, with outer deltate and inner lanceolate shapes. Florets, 5-120 in number, have yellow or white corollas. Cypselae are columnar, 3-5.5 mm long, with pappi composed of 5 lanceolate or deltate scales. The species is diploid with 2n = 36 chromosomes.
Other common names
San Joaquin silverpuffs
Distribution
California
