The Jepson Herbarium
		University of California, Berkeley

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Annual, perennial herb, generally taprooted; mealy, hairs drying as minute white scales; sap milky.
Leaf: basal and cauline, generally linear to lanceolate or oblanceolate, generally variably entire to pinnately lobed.
Inflorescence: heads 1 on long peduncle, liguliflorous, ± nodding in bud; involucre generally fusiform to spheric; phyllaries in 2–several series, outer overlapping, inner often ± black-hairy; receptacle flat to low- convex, epaleate, pitted.
Flower: 5–many; ligules ± equaling involucre in annual species to much exceeding involucre in per species, white, yellow, or orange, abaxially often ± red or purple, readily withering.
Fruit: cylindric to fusiform, generally square-topped, not beaked; ribs ± 10, ± scabrous (outer fruit hairy in some); pappus of generally 5–many ± lanceolate, bristle-tipped scales.
14 species: w North America, South America, New Zealand, Australia. (Greek: small chicory) [Chambers 2006 FNANM 19:338–346] Hybridization common. Self-pollinating (annual) or self-sterile and ± complex (perennial herb).

Key to Microseris

1. Perennial; stem simple or branched, scapose or ± leafy; ligules much exceeding involucre; pappus parts often > 5 (subg. Scorzonella)

2. Plant from rhizome-like caudex; pappus bristles 24–48, ± brown, barbed, basal scales 0; leaves all basal; sphagnum bogs, NCoRO ..... M. borealis

2' Plant taprooted; pappus bristles 5–30, each expanded at base into a small to large scale; leaves generally basal to cauline; various habitats

3. Pappus scales 15–30, silvery; bristles plumose; widespread ..... M. nutans

3' Pappus scales 5–24, often dull white or ± brown, bristles ± smooth or barbed to ± plumose

4. Pappus scales 4–10 mm; bristles barbed to ± plumose

5. Pappus scales 5–10, ± dull yellow-brown; stem branched or simple, proximally leafy to mid-stem; outer phyllary tips recurved; generally GV, adjacent foothills ..... M. sylvatica

5' Pappus scales 9–19, silvery to dull white; stem simple, leafy proximally; phyllary tips erect; n KR and adjacent OR, rare ..... M. laciniata subsp. detlingii

4' Pappus scales 0.5–4 mm, bristles ± smooth to barbed

6. Outer phyllaries often purple-spotted, lance-ovate to broadly ovate, 2.5–9 mm wide, generally glabrous ..... M. laciniata subsp. laciniata

6' Outer phyllaries rarely purple-spotted, linear to ± deltate or lanceolate, 0.5–2.5 mm wide, often mealy, sometimes ± black-hairy

7. Pappus scales 8–24, bristles white, barbed — KR and adjacent OR ..... M. laciniata subsp. siskiyouensis

7' Pappus scales 5–10, bristles white, smooth or bristles ± brown, barbed

8. Pappus scales 0.5–2.5 mm, bristles white, smooth; NW ..... M. laciniata subsp. leptosepala

8' Pappus scales 2–4 mm, bristles ± brown, barbed; CCo, SnFrB ..... M. paludosa

1' Annual; stem scapose; ligules ± equaling involucre; pappus parts < 6 (subg. Microseris)

9. Fr generally < 3 mm

10. Fr widest near middle, tapered to base and (slightly) to tip; pappus scales 1–4 mm; NCo, CCo, SnFrB ..... M. bigelovii (2)

10' Fr widest at tip, tapered to base; pappus scales 0.2–2.5 mm; widespread ..... M. elegans

9' Fr generally > 3 mm

11. Pappus scales <= 1 mm ..... M. douglasii subsp. tenella

11' Pappus scales averaging 1.5 mm or longer

12. Pappus scales 3.5–11 mm, lance-linear, barely inrolled, midrib > 1/5 scale width ..... M. acuminata

12' Pappus scales <= 7 mm (if lance-linear midrib < 1/5 scale width)

13. Pappus scales curved only at base, midrib linear, thicker at base; NCo, CCo, SnFrB ..... M. bigelovii (2)

13' Pappus scales becoming ± curved throughout, midrib evenly tapered from thick base

14. Pappus scales 5, barely or not pigmented, becoming slightly inrolled; SNF, GV, e CW, SCo (rare) ..... M. campestris

14' Pappus scales 5 or fewer, darkly to not pigmented, becoming strongly inrolled ..... M. douglasii

15. Pappus scales generally < fruit (if > fruit, then fruit > 4.5 mm); widespread ..... subsp. douglasii

15' Pappus scales >= fruit; fruit <= 4.5 mm; SCo, PR, s ChI ..... subsp. platycarpha

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) [year] Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html [accessed on month, day, year]
Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].
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