Agoseris aurantiaca var. aurantiaca
Orange agoseris
Walter Siegmund (talk) (via Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Agoseris aurantiaca var. aurantiaca (Orange agoseris) is a native California subshrub in the Asteraceae family, recognized by orange flowers diagnostic among sympatric species.
Orange agoseris is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern California Coast Ranges, high Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, and eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains in meadows, scrub, forest, and streamside habitats at elevations of 1,500 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces vibrant orange flowers (rarely yellow, pink, or purple) with ligules 5 to 10 millimeters long that often exceed the flower head's involucre. Growing with erect stems 10 to 50 centimeters tall, it develops distinctive leaves with 2 to 4 pairs of spreading lanceolate lobes. Its leaves are narrowly to broadly oblanceolate, 10 to 30 centimeters long, with petioles often tinged purple and surfaces slightly glaucous. The fruit develops a slender beak 5 to 10 millimeters long, with a cylindric to obconic body 6 to 9 millimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Co-occurs with 12 species; orange flowers diagnostic among sympatric species
Habitat and range
Habitat: Meadows, scrub, forest, streamsides
Elevation: 1500-3500 m
Outside California: to Alaska, western Canada, Quebec, South Dakota, New Mexico
Bloom period
Agoseris aurantiaca var. aurantiaca blooms Jun-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Taraxacum: Agoseris bracts graduate gradually in size; Taraxacum has dramatically smaller outer bracts and longer one-sided pappus.; vs Hypochaeris: Agoseris has completely bractless stems; Hypochaeris often has small leafy bracts partway up the stem.; vs Microseris: Agoseris pappus bristles evenly distributed; Microseris has 5-80 white scales (not plume-like bristles).; vs Uropappus: Agoseris has plume-like bristles; Uropappus has 5 large silvery scales alternating with 5 smaller ones.; vs Leontodon: Agoseris has unbranched scapes; Leontodon often has branched stems with multiple heads.
Frequently asked questions
Is Agoseris aurantiaca var. aurantiaca native to California?
Yes. Agoseris aurantiaca var. aurantiaca is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Agoseris aurantiaca var. aurantiaca bloom?
Agoseris aurantiaca var. aurantiaca blooms Jun-Sep.
What plant family does Agoseris aurantiaca var. aurantiaca belong to?
Agoseris aurantiaca var. aurantiaca is in the Asteraceae family, genus Agoseris.
What habitat does Agoseris aurantiaca var. aurantiaca grow in?
Agoseris aurantiaca var. aurantiaca grows in Meadows, scrub, forest, streamsides.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.