Agoseris apargioides facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Agoseris apargioides |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
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Cichorioideae
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Cichorieae
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| Genus: |
Agoseris
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| Species: |
A. apargioides
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| Binomial name | |
| Agoseris apargioides (Less.) Greene
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| Synonyms | |
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Synonymy
Agoseris eastwoodiae Fedde
Agoseris humilis (Benth.) Kuntze Agoseris maritima E.Sheld. Agoseris maritima Eastw. Barkhausia lessingii Hook. & Arn. Leontodon hirsutus Hook. Microrhynchus humilis Benth. Stylopappus lessingii D.Dietr. Taraxacum hirsutum (Hook.) Torr. & A.Gray Troximon apargioides Less. Troximon humile (Benth.) A.Gray |
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Agoseris apargioides is a plant often called the seaside agoseris or seaside false-dandelion. It is part of the sunflower family, which is a very big group of plants! You can find this plant growing along the Pacific coast of the United States. It grows from Washington down to central California. It especially likes to live on sandy coastal dunes.
Seaside agoseris is a perennial herb. This means it lives for more than two years. It usually grows low to the ground. If you break a stem, you might see milky or orange sap come out. Sometimes, it doesn't have a main stem above ground. Instead, it has long, underground stems called rhizomes. These rhizomes help it spread and stay rooted even when sand drifts over it.
Its leaves grow in a circle close to the ground, like a rosette. The leaves can be thin or wide, up to 15 centimeters (about 6 inches) long. They usually have 3-5 pairs of rounded parts, called lobes, along their edges. Sometimes, these lobes are missing.
The flower stalk, called a peduncle, can grow up to 45 centimeters (about 18 inches) tall. However, it is usually much shorter. The flower head is about 2 centimeters (less than an inch) wide. It is surrounded by special leaves called phyllaries. These phyllaries can be smooth or hairy. The flower head has bright yellow ray florets, which look like petals. The outer ones often have a purple stripe on their underside. This plant does not have disc florets, which are the tiny flowers usually found in the center of a sunflower.
After the flower blooms, it produces a fruit called an achene. This achene is between 5-12 millimeters long. The bottom part of the achene holds a single seed. The top part forms a thin "beak" with a fluffy, white pappus on the end. The pappus helps the seed float away on the wind, just like a dandelion seed!
Varieties of Seaside False-Dandelion
Scientists sometimes divide plants into different varieties. This means they are slightly different forms of the same species. Three varieties of Agoseris apargioides are recognized by some plant experts, like those who created the Flora of North America and Calflora. However, other groups, like The Plant List, do not recognize these varieties.
- Agoseris apargioides var. apargioides - This variety is found in west-central California.
- Agoseris apargioides var. eastwoodiae - This variety grows in northwestern California.
- Agoseris apargioides var. maritima - This variety is found in Washington, Oregon, and the very northwestern part of California.
