| Microseris heterocarpa | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Microseris |
| Species: | M. heterocarpa |
| Binomial name | |
| Microseris heterocarpa | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Microseris heterocarpa, known by the common name grassland silverpuffs, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.
It is native to southwestern North America, where it can be found in various areas of California, and parts of Arizona and northern Mexico. It grows in open habitat in chaparral, woodlands, grasslands, desert, Sierra foothill, and inland canyons.
This species is also found on Guadalupe Island, a Mexican island in the Pacific Ocean. [2]
Microseris heterocarpa is variable in morphology. In general, it is an annual herb with a basal rosette of large leaves. The inflorescence arises on a tall peduncle bearing a solitary flower head. The head is lined in hairless phyllaries and contains many ray florets, often over 100, in shades of yellow or white.
The fruit is an achene with a brown, gray, blue, or purple body tipped with a pappus of five long, spreading scales, the whole unit measuring 1 or 2 centimeters.
This species is suspected to be a hybrid between Microseris douglasii and Uropappus lindleyi which may have evolved independently, possibly three times. [3] The plant comes in a wide variety of appearances with variations in florescence properties and size, as well as height, ranging on a scale between both of the suspected parent taxa.
The Nearctic realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting the Earth's land surface.
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica and are found in most ecoregions of the Earth. Furthermore, grasslands are one of the largest biomes on Earth and dominate the landscape worldwide. There are different types of grasslands: natural grasslands, semi-natural grasslands, and agricultural grasslands. They cover 31–69% of the Earth's land area.
The grasshopper sparrow is a small New World sparrow. It belongs to the genus Ammodramus, which contains three species that inhabit grasslands and prairies. Grasshopper sparrows are sometimes found in crop fields and they will readily colonize reclaimed grassland. In the core of their range, grasshopper sparrows are dependent upon large areas of grassland where they avoid trees and shrubs. They seek out heterogenous patches of prairie that contain clumps of dead grass or other vegetation where they conceal their nest, and also contain barer ground where they forage for insects, spiders, and seeds. Grasshopper sparrows are unusual among New World sparrows in that they sing two distinct song types, the prevalence of which varies with the nesting cycle. The primary male song, a high trill preceded by a stereotyped series of short chips, is reminiscent of the sounds of grasshoppers and is the origin of this species' name. Like some other birds of the central North American grasslands, this species also moves around a lot, not only via annual migrations, but individuals frequently disperse between breeding attempts or breeding seasons. Grasshopper sparrows are in steep decline across their range, even in the core of the breeding distribution in the tallgrass prairies of the central Great Plains. The Florida grasshopper sparrow is highly endangered.
Eriophyllum lanatum, with the common names common woolly sunflower, Oregon sunshine and golden yarrow, is a common, widespread, North American plant in the family Asteraceae.
Uropappus, commonly called silverpuffs, is a genus of North American plants in the tribe Cichorieae within the family Asteraceae. Some authors accept only one species, U. lindleyi, and separate Stebbinsoseris.
Juniperus californica, the California juniper, is a species of juniper native to southwestern North America.
Baccharis pilularis, called coyote brush, chaparral broom, and bush baccharis, is a shrub in the family Asteraceae native to California, Oregon, Washington, and Baja California. There are reports of isolated populations in New Mexico, most likely introduced.
Microseris nutans is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name nodding microseris. It is native to western North America, including southwestern Canada and much of the western United States, including the Sierra Nevada in California, where it grows in many types of habitat.
Stephanomeria is a genus of North American plants also known as wirelettuce, belonging to the tribe Cichorieae within the family Asteraceae.
Brickellia californica, known by the common name California brickellbush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.
Psilactis is a genus of North American and South American plants in the tribe Astereae within the family Asteraceae which are known by the common name tansyaster. There are six species within the genus.
Microseris acuminata is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name Sierra foothill silverpuffs. It is native to the Central Valley of California and the mountain ranges, including the Sierra Nevada, surrounding it. There is a disjunct occurrence in Jackson County, Oregon. The plant grows in grassy habitat, woodlands, and sometimes the edges of vernal pools.
Microseris bigelovii is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name coastal silverpuffs. It is native to the west coast of North America, where its range extends from the southern tip of Vancouver Island to the northern coast of California.
Microseris campestris is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name San Joaquin silverpuffs. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the San Joaquin Valley and adjacent Sierra Nevada foothills, and the central California Coast Ranges. It is a resident of grassland and open slope habitats, sometimes near vernal pools.
Microseris douglasii is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name Douglas' silverpuffs. It is native to western North America from Oregon and California to Baja California. It grows in several types of habitat, including grassland and vernal pools, and on soils containing clay and serpentine.
Microseris elegans is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name elegant silverpuffs. It is native to California and Baja California, where it grows in the valleys, foothills, and coastal mountain ranges. Its habitat includes grassland, sometimes near vernal pools, and especially clay soils.
Microseris laciniata is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name cutleaf silverpuffs. It is native to the western United States from Washington to northern California and Nevada, where it grows in forest and grassland habitat.
Microseris paludosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names marsh silverpuffs and marsh microseris. It is endemic to California, where it has a scattered distribution between southern Mendocino and northern San Luis Obispo Counties, mainly near the coast. Its habitat includes coastal scrub and grassland and coniferous forest.
Microseris sylvatica is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names sylvan scorzonella and woodland silverpuffs. It is endemic to California, where it has a scattered distribution throughout the central California Coast Ranges and inland mountain ranges, including the Sierra Nevada of the state. Its habitat includes grassland and openings in wooded areas.
Helianthus petiolaris is a North American plant species in the family Asteraceae, commonly known as the prairie sunflower or lesser sunflower. Naturalist and botanist Thomas Nuttall was the first to describe the prairie sunflower in 1821. The word petiolaris in Latin means, “having a petiole”. The species originated in Western United States, but has since expanded east. The prairie sunflower is sometimes considered a weed.
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