[False Dandelions: The Genus Agoseris in the Columbia
River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]
Annual Agoseris, False Dandelion
Agoseris heterophylla var. heterophylla
Synonyms: Agoseris heterophylla ssp. californica, Agoseris heterophylla ssp. normalis, Agoseris heterophylla var. crenulata, Agoseris heterophylla var. cryptopleura, Agoseris heterophylla var. turgida
Annual
agoseris as seen along trails at the Deschutes River State Recreation Area......April 6, 2024.
Characteristics:
Annual Agoseris is a dandelion-like plant with all the leaves
basal and narrowly lance-shaped, occasionally shaped like those of a dandelion.
It is an annual with one to several slender, hairy stems from 3-40 cm high.
Individual leaves are oblanceolate and are toothed, pinnatifid or entire. The
length of the leaves is up to 15 cm and width to 15 mm. The stems are leafless,
with a single dandelion-like flower head at the top.
The flowers are yellow in color, turning pinkish upon drying.
The involucre ranges from 5-13 mm high while in flower. It may lengthen up to
2 cm when in fruit.
Habitat:
Agoseris heterophylla is found in open areas in the lowlands
and foothills.
Range:
Agoseris heterophylla is found from British Columbia
southeast to Idaho, Utah and Arizona, and south through Oregon and Washington
and Nevada to California.
In the Columbia River Gorge, it is found between the Wind and
Deschutes Rivers, between the elevations of 200'-3800'.
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The photo at left shows a close-up of the ray flowers of annual
agoseris as seen on the southeastern slopes of Mt. Adams........May 29,
2005.The photo at right shows a close-up of the involucre
of annual agoseris as seen at Catherine Creek, Columbia River Gorge.......May
14, 2006.
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Annual agoseris blooming along the Weldon Wagon Road several miles east of Husum, WA......April 19, 2018.
The photo above shows annual agoseris in its
habitat as seen at a small, moist, rocky meadow along Rd K6000 at about 2800'
at the southeast corner of Mt. Adams........May 29, 2005.
Paul Slichter