Annual agoseris facts for kids
Agoseris heterophylla is a type of plant that belongs to the Asteraceae family, also known as the sunflower family. You might know it by its common names, annual agoseris or mountain dandelion. This plant grows widely in the drier areas of western North America, stretching from British Columbia all the way down to Baja California.
Quick facts for kids Annual agoseris |
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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. heterophylla
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| Binomial name | |
| Agoseris heterophylla (Nutt.) Greene
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Synonymy
Agoseris californica (Nutt.) Hoover
Agoseris greeneana Kuntze Agoseris heterophylla (Nutt.) Jeps. Agoseris major Jeps. ex Greene Cryptopleura californica Nutt. Kymapleura heterophylla (Nutt.) Nutt. ex Torr. & A.Gray Microrhynchus californicus (Nutt.) Torr. & A.Gray Microrhynchus heterophyllus Nutt. Troximon elatum Greene Troximon heterophyllum (Nutt.) Greene |
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Contents
About the Mountain Dandelion
This plant is an annual herb, which means it completes its entire life cycle, from seed to flower to seed, within one year. It grows a group of leaves at its base, forming a circular pattern called a rosette.
Leaves and Stems
The leaves are shaped like a spear, wider at the tip and narrower at the base. They can be up to 15 centimeters (about 6 inches) long and 1.5 centimeters (about half an inch) wide. Their edges might be smooth, toothed, or deeply cut into lobes.
Often, this plant doesn't have a main stem that stands tall. Instead, it might have a very short, basic stem. However, it will produce several stalk-like structures called peduncles. These peduncles hold the flower heads.
Flowers and Fruit
Each peduncle usually has just one flower head. This flower head is surrounded by one or two rows of pointed, leaf-like structures called bracts. These bracts often have purplish hairs.
The flower itself has a corolla made up of yellow ray florets. These are the petal-like parts you see on the outside of a sunflower. Interestingly, this plant does not have disc florets, which are the small flowers found in the center of a sunflower.
After the flower blooms, it produces a fruit called an achene. An achene is a small, dry, one-seeded fruit. The achene of Agoseris heterophylla can look very different from one plant to another. It typically has a long, narrow tip called a beak. At the very end of this beak, there's a fluffy tuft of white bristles called a pappus. This pappus helps the seeds float away in the wind, spreading them to new places.
Different Types of Agoseris heterophylla
Just like people can have different hair colors or heights, plants can also have slight variations within the same species. These are called varieties. Agoseris heterophylla has a few known varieties:
- Agoseris heterophylla var. cryptopleura - This variety is found in California.
- Agoseris heterophylla var. heterophylla - This is the most widespread variety, found from British Columbia all the way down to Baja California, including Guadalupe Island.
- Agoseris heterophylla var. quentinii - This variety grows in Arizona and New Mexico.
