Microseris douglasii subsp. douglasii

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Douglas' microseris is a native annual herb found in northern California, the California Roaring Fork region, Sierra Nevada foothills, Tehachapi, Central Valley, Central Western California, and southern coastal areas, inhabiting inland clay soils and grasslands, often near vernal pools or serpentine outcrops at elevations below 1,100 meters. Flowering from March to June, this delicate plant produces pale yellow to cream-colored flowers in small, drooping heads. Growing with slender stems 10 to 40 centimeters tall, it emerges from a thin taproot in open grassland environments. Its leaves are narrow and deeply divided, forming basal rosettes that are typically 5 to 20 centimeters long, with a delicate, grass-like appearance. The fruit is distinctive, 4 to 10 millimeters long, widest at the tip and crowned with curved pappus scales that become strongly inrolled as the seed matures.

Habitat: Inland clay soils, grassland, often near vernal pools or serpentine outcrops (coastal in southern CCo)

Bloom period: Mar-Jun

Elevation: < 1100 m

Bioregions: NCoR, CaRF, SNF, Teh, GV, CW, SCo (rare)

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