Coast Range agoseris facts for kids

Agoseris hirsuta, also known as Coast Range agoseris or woolly goat chicory, is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the daisy family. This plant grows only in the Coast Ranges along the Pacific coast of California. You can find it from Humboldt County down to San Luis Obispo County.

What is Coast Range Agoseris?

The Coast Range agoseris is a unique plant found only in certain parts of California. It is a North American species. Its scientific name, Agoseris hirsuta, helps scientists around the world know exactly which plant they are talking about.

Where Does it Grow?

This plant is special because it only grows in a specific area. It likes the California Coast Ranges, which are mountains and hills near the Pacific Ocean. This area stretches along the coast of California.

You can find Agoseris hirsuta in counties like Humboldt County in the north. It also grows further south, all the way to San Luis Obispo County. This makes it a plant that is endemic to this region, meaning it naturally lives only there.

How to Identify Agoseris hirsuta

This plant has some interesting features that help you tell it apart. It looks a bit like a common dandelion, but it has its own unique characteristics.

Leaves and Stems

Unlike many plants, Agoseris hirsuta does not have leafy stems that grow tall. Instead, its leaves grow in a special pattern called a rosette. This means the leaves are arranged in a circle very close to the ground. Imagine a flat star of leaves right at the base of the plant.

Flowers and Blooms

The plant produces a single flower head. This flower head has many bright yellow petals. These petals are called ray florets. If you look closely at a daisy or a sunflower, you'll see similar ray florets around the edge.

However, Agoseris hirsuta does not have disc florets. Disc florets are the tiny flowers usually found in the center of a daisy or sunflower. So, this plant's flower head is made up only of the yellow ray florets.