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

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...

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 Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...

to the northern coast of

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

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 An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

is borne on an erect or curving peduncle. The

flower head A pseudanthium (Greek for "false flower"; ) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, compos ...

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 dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and indehiscent (they do not ope ...

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 (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

there are five or six occurrences known to remain, in

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

the single known occurrence has probably been

extirpated Local extinction, also known as extirpation, refers to a species (or other taxon) of plant or animal that ceases to exist in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinct ...

, and the

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

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, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and 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 ...

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