[Microseris and Silverpuffs: The Genera Microseris, Nothocalais and Uropappus in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]
False Agoseris, Weevil Microseris, Weevil Prairie-dandelion
Nothocalais troximoides
Synonyms: Microseris troximoides, Scorzonella troximoides
The photo above shows false agoseris as seen atop the Columbia Hills several miles north of The Dalles, OR.........April 7, 2007.
The photo at right shows false agoseris as seen atop the Columbia Hills several miles north of The Dalles, OR..........April 7, 2007. The margins of the leaves are typically folded upwards and inwards and are noticeably wavy. Click the photo to see a closer view.
Characteristics:
False agoseris is a perennial to 30 cm in height. The numerous
leaves are basal, narrow (to 1 cm wide) and up to 40 cm long. The margins are
often crisped or wavy, and often with a thin white striping along the edge.
The flower heads are solitary and dandelion-like. The bracts
are a little less than equal in size, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate in shape,
the upper end tapering gradually to a point. The bracts typically have a dark
midrib, and may have lighter striping on both sides of this midrib. The fruiting
head is dandelion-like.
Habitat:
False agoseris is found in dry open places in
the lowlands and into the foothills.
Range:
False agoseris may be found east of the Cascades
from southern British Columbia south through central Washington and Oregon to
northern California, and eastward to western Montana and northern Utah.
In the Columbia River Gorge, false agoseris may be found east
of approximately the Little White Salmon River between the elevations of 100'-3000'.
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The photo at left shows a close-up view from above of the flower
head of false agoseris as seen from Catherine Creek, Columbia River Gorge..........April
9, 2006. This species is similar to the common dandelion in having only
ray flowers present. The photo at right shows a flower head of false agoseris as seen in Rowena Dell between Memaloose and Tom McCall Nature Preserve.........April 5, 2016.
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The photo at left shows a close-up of the involucral bracts and
undersides of the ray flowers of false agoseris as seen from Catherine Creek,
Columbia River Gorge...........April 9, 2006. Note the tangled white hairs
on the outside of the involucral bracts and lower, outer surfaces of the rays.
Note also the dark line running the length of the mid-section of the bracts
and the burnt orange stripe running the length of the underside of each ray. The photo at right shows
a slose-up image of the flower head of false agoseris as seen from Catherine Creek,
Columbia River Gorge..........March 17, 2021..
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False agoseris observed in bloom at left at Catherine Creek, Columbia River Gorge.........April 19, 2017. The photo at right shows several false agoseris blooming in open oak woodlands at the Mill Creek Ridge Preserve, a Columbia Land Trust property outside The Dalles, OR.......April 28, 2019.
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False agoseris growing (left) amongst Wallace's spikemoss (Selaginella wallacei) and a broad mat of gray-green racomitrium moss (possibly Racomitrium elongatum?) as seen at the west side of Catherine Creek at the top of the road cut above old Highway 8, Columbia River Gorge.............April 3, 2012. The photo at right shows false agoseris as seen in Rowena Dell between Memaloose and Tom McCall Nature Preserve..........March 31, 2016.
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A seed head of false agoseris as seen at left in dry, open woods east of Canyon Creek, Klickitat Wildlife Area.........May 22, 2015. Note that there is no stipe between the long, narrow achene and the parachute-like plume which differentiates this genus (and the genus Microseris) from the genus Agoseris. The photo at right shows the basal leaves of false agoseris as observed in the Columbia Hills Natural Area Preserve......March 4, 2020.
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False agoseris as seen at left at Brooks Memorial State Park, northern Klickitat County, WA............April 28, 2014. The photo at right shows false agoseris in bloom atop Mill Creek Ridge, Wasco County, OR.....March 19, 2020.
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False agoseris as seen along the Lyle-Cherry Orchard Trail, one mile east of Lyle, WA...........April 2, 2015.
False agoseris blooming along a user trail along the west rim of Catherine Creek, Columbia River Gorge.......March 25, 2022.
Paul Slichter