familyAsteraceae
genusMicroseris
speciesMicroseris douglasii
subspeciesMicroseris douglasii subsp. tenella
Microseris douglasii subsp. tenella
Contr. Dudley Herb. 4: 294. 1955.
Common names: Tender silverpuffs
Endemic
Basionym: Calaïs tenella A. Gray in War Department [U.S.], Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 114, plate 17, figs. 6–10. 1857
Synonyms: Calaïs aphantocarpha A. Gray Microseris aphantocarpha (A. Gray) Schultz-Bipontinus Microseris tenella (A. Gray) Schultz-Bipontinus Microseris tenella var. aphantocarpha (A. Gray) S. F. Blake
Cypselae truncate-fusiform, 3–6.5 mm (tapered to basal callosities, widest beyond middles, filled by embryos), ribs constricted at apices; pappi usually of deltate or ovate, arcuate, usually plane or barely involute scales 0.5–1 mm, shorter than cypselae, sometimes nearly obsolete. 2n = 18.
Phenology: Flowering Mar-–Jun.
Habitat: Sandy or clay soils, flats and hillsides, sometimes on serpentine slopes, grasslands and open oak woodlands
Elevation: 0–500 m
Discussion
Subspecies tenella intergrades completely with subsp. douglasii in west-central California. It occurs near the immediate coast; morphologic variation and chloroplast DNA suggest a history of hybridization with M. bigelovii.
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
None.