Key to Microseris

View taxon page for Microseris

(For a list of species in Microseris, use the above link.)

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Perennial herb; stem 

simple 

Composed of a single part; undivided; unbranched.

or branched, 

scapose 

Pertaining to a plant or an inflorescence in which a relatively long peduncle (scape) arises, sometimes with leaf- or scale-like bracts but without true foliage leaves, from a rosette or other arrangement of leaves at ground level.

or ± leafy; ligules much exceeding 

involucre 

Group of bracts more or less held together as a unit, subtending a flower, fruit (acorn cup), or inflorescence.

; pappus parts often > 5 (subg. Scorzonella)

2. Plant from rhizome-like 

caudex 

Generally short, sometimes woody, more or less vertical stem of a perennial, at or beneath ground level.

; pappus bristles 24–48, ± brown, 

barbed 

Having sharp, normally downward- or backward-pointing projections. Said of an awn, bristle, or other structure.

, 

basal 

At or near the base of a plant or plant part. Especially said of leaves clustered near the ground or of a placenta confined to the base of an ovary.

 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 

1. Wide, appressed, membranous, epidermal outgrowth (e.g., Cheilanthes covillei) 2. Structure partially or entirely covering an over-wintering bud (bud scale) (e.g., Salix goodingii bud). 3. In gymnosperms, a woody, seed-bearing structure attached to the cone axis (cone scale) (e.g., Abies magnifica). 4. In Asteraceae, a flat, membranous pappus element (e.g., Hymenoxys hoopesii). Leaves or bracts may be scale-like in one or more of the preceding ways.

; leaves generally basal to cauline; various habitats

3. Pappus scales 15–30, silvery; bristles 

plumose 

Plume-like, usually with the parts arrayed in three dimensions around an axis, or in tufts held together at the base; usually pertaining to small, finely divided structures, such as certain stigmas and pappus elements.

; 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 

Gradually curved downward or backward.

; generally GV, adjacent foothills ..... M. sylvatica

5' Pappus scales 9–19, silvery to dull white; stem simple, leafy proximally; phyllary tips 

erect 

Upright; vertically oriented.

; 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 

Egg-shaped (i.e., widest below the middle) in two dimensions (i.e., in one plane), as a leaf.

, 2.5–9 mm wide, generally glabrous ..... M. laciniata subsp. laciniata

6' Outer phyllaries rarely purple-spotted, 

linear 

Elongate, with nearly parallel sides; narrower than elliptic or oblong.

to ± 

deltate 

More or less equilaterally triangular, with the corners rounded or not.

or 

lanceolate 

Narrowly elongate, widest in the basal half, often tapered to an acute tip.

, 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. Fruit generally < 3 mm

10. Fruit widest near middle, 

tapered 

Gradually (not abruptly) narrower or smaller at base or tip.

to base and (slightly) to tip; pappus scales 1–4 mm; NCo, CCo, SnFrB ..... M. bigelovii (2)

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

9' Fruit 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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