Microseris borealis

Northern microseris, Northern Microseris

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.1

Northern microseris is a rare (CNPS 2B.1) California native perennial found in the northern Coast Ranges, specifically in Bald Mountain area of Humboldt County, inhabiting wet meadows and sphagnum bogs at elevations around 1,000 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces bright yellow flowers in elongated heads with ligules up to 18 to 50 millimeters long. Growing 15 to 70 centimeters tall with a scapose habit emerging from a rhizome-like caudex, it develops several fleshy roots. Its basal leaves stretch 6 to 30 centimeters long, ranging from entire to slightly toothed along the margins. The distinctive fruit features 24 to 48 brown bristles that are 5 to 10 millimeters long and barbed, with a brownish seed body 4 to 8 millimeters in size.

Habitat: Wet meadows, sphagnum bogs

Bloom period: Jul-Sep

Elevation: 1000 m

Bioregions: NCoRO (Bald Mtn, Humboldt Co.)

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.