Microseris elegans

Elegant silverpuffs

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Elegant silverpuffs is a California native annual found in the North Coast Ranges, California Red Fir Forest, Sierra Nevada Foothills, Central Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, South Coast Ranges, Southern California, and Channel Islands in clay grasslands and near vernal pools at elevations below 700 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces yellow to orange flowers in heads 4 to 8 millimeters long with distinctive ligules. Growing with slender scapose stems 5 to 35 centimeters tall, it emerges from the ground with delicate, branching flower stalks. Its leaves are 2 to 20 centimeters long, generally lobed and spreading near the base of the plant. The fruit is 1.5 to 3 millimeters long, widest at the tip and ranging from evenly brown to nearly black, with small white pappus scales.

Habitat: Generally inland clay grassland, often near vernal pools (coastal in SW)

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: < 700 m

Bioregions: NCoR, CaRF, SNF, GV, SnFrB, SCoR, SCo, ChI

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