| TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
Annual to tree
Leaves basal or cauline, alternate to whorled, simple to compound
Inflorescence: 1° inflorescence a head, each resembling a flower, 1–many, generally arrayed in cymes, generally subtended by ± calyx-like involucre; flowers 1–many per head
Flowers bisexual, unisexual, or sterile, ± small, of several types; calyx 0 or modified into pappus of bristles, scales, or awns, which is generally persistent in fruit; corolla radial or bilateral (rarely 0), lobes generally (0)4–5; stamens 4–5, anthers generally fused into cylinder around style, often appendaged at tips, bases, or both, filaments generally free, generally attached to corolla near throat; pistil 1, ovary inferior, 1-chambered, 1-seeded, style 1, branches 2, generally hair-tufted at tip, stigmas 2, generally on inside of style branches
Fruit: achene, cylindric to ovoid, generally deciduous with pappus attached
Genera in family: ± 1300 genera, 21,000 species (largest family of dicots): worldwide. Largest family in CA. Also see tribal key to CA genera: Strother 1997 Madroño 44(1):1–28. See glossary p. 25 for illustrations of general family characteristics.
Annual to subshrubs
Stems from taproot or ± branched caudex
Leaves simple, alternate, entire to pinnately dissected; teeth or lobes often ± bristle-tipped
Inflorescence: heads radiate or discoid, solitary or cymosely clustered; involucre bell-shaped, hemispheric, or obconic; phyllaries in 2–several series of unequal length, basal portion straw-colored to purplish, tips green; receptacle convex, naked or with short, triangular scales (not chaff)
Ray flowers 8–many; corollas yellow, white, pink, blue, or purple
Disk flowers 10–many; corollas yellow; style tips triangular to linear, acute
Fruit linear to club-shaped or obovoid, smooth or several–many-ribbed, glabrous to densely hairy; pappus of many unequal bristles (ray pappus sometimes 0)
Species in genus: ± 35 species: temp w North America
Etymology: (Greek: sword-like anthers)
Reference: [Hartman 1990 Phytologia 68:439–465]
| Native |
Annual to perennial herb < 12 dm, generally canescent-puberulent and often glandular
Stems 1–several from base, generally branched above and ± bushy
Leaves generally 3–10 cm, generally 2–6 mm wide, linear to obovate, subentire to dentate or minutely serrate; lower tapered; upper sometimes clasping
Inflorescence: heads radiate; phyllaries generally in 3–10 series, tips short-triangular to elongate, acuminate, spreading to bent backward, generally ± glandular or glabrous
Ray flowers many (0 in var. shastensis ); corollas blue-purple; ligules 1–2 cm
Disk flowers many; corollas 5.5–8 mm
Fruit 2.5–3.5 mm, narrowly obovate, weakly curved and ± flattened with 5–7 ribs on each face, glabrous or ± silky; pappus 6–8 mm
Ecology: Common. Many habitats
Elevation: 300–3400 m.
Bioregional distribution: Klamath Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, Great Basin Floristic Province, Mojave Desert
Distribution outside California: w N.America
Variable; perhaps not a different sp. from M. asteroides.
| Native |
Annual to short-lived perennial herb
Stems 1–5 dm, spreading or erect; branches ascending to loosely spreading
Inflorescence: heads radiate; 6–12(14) mm, 10–15 mm wide (when pressed); involucres 5–9 mm
Ray flowers present, fertile; style well developed
Ecology: Desert scrub
Elevation: 750–2000 m.
Bioregional distribution: e Peninsular Ranges, White and Inyo Mountains, Mojave Desert
Distribution outside California: to e Oregon, Utah
Flowering time: May–Jun
Synonyms: M. l. (Greene) Greene