Agoseris grandiflora

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Agoseris grandiflora, commonly known as bigflower agoseris, grassland agoseris, or sometimes California dandelion, is a flowering plant in the Asteracae family.
Synonyms: Agoseris laciniata, Stylopappus grandiflorus

Agoseris grandiflora

Taxonomy

  • Kingdom Plantae – Plants
  • Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
  • Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants
  • Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
  • Class Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
  • Subclass Asteridae
  • Order Asterales
  • Family Asteraceae – Aster family
  • Genus Agoseris Raf. – agoseris
  • Species Agoseris grandiflora (Nutt.) Greene – bigflower agoseris

Description

Scapose, stout perennial, 2-7 dm. tall, somewhat hairy when young, the juice milky, with basal, oblanceolate to broadly linear pinnatifid leaves (10-25 cm. long and 1-3 cm. wide. Large flower head with many yellow flowers, involucre 1.5-4 cm. high, its outer bracts broad and short, the inner narrower and elongate; corollas all ligulate. Produces fruits with achene body 4-7 mm. long, tapering to a slender beak 2-4 times as long. http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php

Bloom Period

May-August http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php

Distribution

West of the Rocky Mountains http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=AGGR

Habitat

Meadows and other open places in the lowlands and at moderate elevations in the mountains, often in dry areas. http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php

Uses

Propagation

Photo Gallery

References

Seed

Agoseris grandiflora

Abbreviation: AGGR

Seed sample from: 2010

Average Measurement: 5.2 x 0.7 x 0.7

Measurement Range: L: 4.6 - 6, W: 0.5 - 0.9, D: 0.5 - 0.9

Features

Shape: Seeds tapering to a beak 2-3 times as long as the body of the seed.

Color: Seeds pale brown with white, glossy hilum.

Additional Structures: Pappus white, and downy.

Surface: Seed body deeply longitudinally grooved. Ridges are finely toothed. Seed slightly glossy.

Latitudinal Cross Section: elliptical Latitudinal AGGR.png

Longitudinal Cross Section: obovate Longitudinal AGGR.png



Basic Explanations and Assumptions:

The dimensions for the seeds are length x width x depth. The location of the hilum is used as the base of the seed, and the length is measured from hilum to the opposite apex. Where a style is present, the length is measured from the hilum to the bottom of the style. Width is measured at a right angle to the length at the widest part. Depth is measured at a right angle to the intersection of height and width lines.

Measurements included are the mean average for each measurement of ten separate seeds.

All measurements in millimeters unless otherwise noted.