Scientific Family
Asteraceae
Other common names
annual goat-chicory
annual goatsbeard
mountain dandelion
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Annual
Height
To 16 inches
Riparian
Yes
Taprooted forb with milky juice. Stems are erect; leaves are mostly erect; flower stalks elongated; flowers yellow. Agoseris species are sometimes confused with closely related genera, notably the dandelion.
Erect annual; basal rosette of narrow leaves, widest near the tip, covered in tiny, soft to rough, white hairs, margins smooth to toothed or lobed; stem leaves few; flower heads with 5 to many yellow rays; achenes (fruits) with long pointed tips.
Habitat
Found on grassy hillsides and openings in brush.
Plant Community
Riparian
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Low elevation
2500
High elevation
5000
Flower Characteristics
Slender flower stems 2 to 16 inches tall, hairless or with sparse long hairs; solitary flower heads of 2 to 3 rows of sharp-pointed bracts, which are green with rosy purple midlines, may be purple-black spotted; ray florets yellow, disc flowers absent.
Flower color
Yellow
Flower shape
Daisy or dandelion-like
Tubular
No
First bloom month
March
Last bloom month
May
Flower clusters
None
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Oblong, spatula-shaped or narrow, margins smooth, fine toothed or wavy with strong indentations (lobes), to 1 inch wide, 2 to 6 inches long, sparsely hairy or hairless.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Narrow
Leaf margin
Lobed
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Typically 10 ribbed with a long extension (beak) and a tuft of white bristles.
Fruit type
Achene