Microseris

Microseris is a genus of plants in the tribe Cichorieae within the family Asteraceae, plants that often called composites.[2] They are native to North America, South America, Australia, and New Zealand.[1]

Microseris
Microseris sylvatica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Cichorioideae
Tribe: Cichorieae
Subtribe: Microseridinae
Genus: Microseris
D.Don
Synonyms[1]
  • Apargidium Torr. & A.Gray
  • Bellardia Colla
  • Calais DC.
  • Fichtea Sch.Bip.
  • Galasia Sch.Bip.
  • Lepidonema Fisch. & C.A.Mey.
  • Nothocalais (A.Gray) Greene
  • Phyllopappus Walp.
  • Ptilocalais Greene
  • Ptilophora A.Gray
  • Scorzonella Nutt.
  • Stebbinsoseris K.L.Chambers
  • Uropappus Nutt.

Plants in the genus can either be annuals or perennials. Perennial plants in Microseris usually have a taproot or a caudex with the exception of Microseris borealis, which is rhizomatous. The leaves are mostly or entirely basal, growing very near the surface of the soil rather than being held on stems above ground level. When blooming the flowers are alone on the top of stems and are held upright when blooming and when producing seeds. The flowers are shades of orange or yellow with a superficial resemblance to dandelions.[3][4]

There is currently disagreement about which species should be placed in Microseris. Plants of the World Online (POWO) synonymizes genus Nothocalais into Microseris. While the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS database (PLANTS),[5] World Flora Online (WFO),[6] the Global Compositae Database (GCD),[7] and Flora of North America (FNA)[4] continue to list Nothocalais as a separate genus as of 2023.

The only species classified by WFO in Nothocalais is Microseris nigrescens as Nothocalais nigrescens, which is also the classification in PLANTS and FNA. The other species classified by PLANTS and FNA as Nothocalais are Microseris alpestris (N. alpestris), Microseris cuspidata (N. cuspidata), and Microseris troximoides (N. troximoides).

According to POWO Microseris contains the following 22 species:[1]

Scientific Name Authority Common Name Native Range
Microseris acuminata Greene Sierra foothill silverpuffs California, Oregon
Microseris alpestris (A.Gray) Q.Jones ex Cronquist alpine lake false dandelion California, Oregon, Washington
Microseris bigelovii (A.Gray) Sch.Bip. coastal silverpuffs British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington
Microseris borealis (Bong.) Sch.Bip. northern microseris Alaska, British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington
Microseris campestris Greene San Joaquin silverpuffs California
Microseris cuspidata (Pursh) Sch.Bip. prairie false dandelion Alberta, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Manitoba, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Microseris decipiens K.L.Chambers Santa Cruz silverpuffs California
Microseris douglasii (DC.) Sch.Bip. Douglas' silverpuffs California, Mexico Northwest, Oregon
Microseris elegans Greene ex A.Gray elegant silverpuffs California, Mexico Northwest
Microseris heterocarpa (Nutt.) K.L.Chambers grassland silverpuffs Arizona, California, Mexico Northwest
Microseris howellii A.Gray Howell's silverpuffs Oregon
Microseris laciniata (Hook.) Sch.Bip. cutleaf silverpuffs California, Oregon, Washington
Microseris lanceolata (Walp.) Sch.Bip. murnong New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Microseris lindleyi (DC.) A.Gray Lindley's silverpuffs Arizona, British Columbia, California, Idaho, Mexico Northwest, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington
Microseris nigrescens L.F.Hend. speckled false dandelion Idaho, Montana, Wyoming
Microseris nutans (Hook.) Sch.Bip. nodding microseris Alberta, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
Microseris paludosa (Greene) J.T.Howell marsh silverpuffs California
Microseris pygmaea D.Don Chile Central, Chile North, Peru
Microseris scapigera Sch.Bip. plains yam daisy New Zealand South, Tasmania, Victoria
Microseris sylvatica Sch.Bip. sylvan scorzonella California
Microseris troximoides A.Gray sagebrush false dandelion British Columbia, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
Microseris walteri Gand. murnong or yam daisy New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

References
  1. POWO (2023). "Microseris D.Don". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  2. Compositae Working Group (CWG). "Microseris". Global Compositae Database. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  3. Chambers, Kenton L. (2020). "Microseris D. Don - FNA". Flora of North America. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  4. Chambers, Kenton L. (2020). "Nothocalaïs D. Don - FNA". Flora of North America. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  5. USDA, NRCS (2023). "Nothocalais (A. Gray) Greene". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  6. WFO (2023). "Nothocalais (A.Gray) Greene". World Flora Online. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  7. Compositae Working Group (CWG). "Nothocalais". Global Compositae Database. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
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