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Practical ecological knowledge for the temperate reader. |
Family: Aster - Asteraceae Family [E-flora]
"Habit: Annual or perennial herb from taproot, occasionally with branched caudex, generally scapose; sap milky. Leaf: generally all basal, generally lanceolate to oblanceolate, long-tapered to obtuse, entire, toothed, or 1--2-pinnately lobed, 1° lobes generally +- opposite, generally on proximal 2/3; 2° lobes 0--1; faces glabrous to densely hairy, hairs generally white-opaque and glandless. Inflorescence: heads liguliflorous, 1, erect, long-peduncled; involucre cylindric to ovoid or bell-shaped in flower, ovoid in fruit, glabrous to densely hairy, hairs white-opaque and glandless or colorless- or yellow-translucent (occasionally with purple cross-walls) and glandular, glands generally yellow, occasionally purple; phyllaries in 2--5(+) series, +- equal in flower, often strongly graduated in fruit, generally entire, green to rosy-purple, often with darker spots or midstripe, outer erect or tips spreading to recurved, inner erect, elongating with fruit or not, +- reflexed when dry; receptacle flat, epaleate (paleate), generally pitted. Flower: 5--500; ligules +- equaling to much exceeding involucre, yellow, or orange, pink, red, or purple, readily withering. Fruit: cylindric to fusiform or obconic (inflated), +- 10-ribbed, generally +- white to brown or purple-black (gray), glabrous to minutely coarse-hairy or puberulent; beak << to >> body (0); pappus of many fine, simple, white bristles. Species In Genus: 11 species: America. Etymology: (Greek: chief or goat + chicory, meaning is obscure) Note: Closely related to Nothocalais. Self-pollination complicates variation in some species; polyploidy and hybridization blur distinctions between some taxa." [Jepson]
"These are annual or perennial, taprooted herbs with milky juice that resemble common dandelion (Taraxacum)." [Vizgirdas WPSN]
"Agoseris consists of about a dozen and a half species; two occur in Argentina and Chile, the rest in western North America. Harborne (1977b) reported quercetin 3-0-glycosides from A. grandiflora and A. heterophylla and apigenin and luteolin derivatives from A. grandiflora." [Bohm FSF]
Local Species:
References
Subtaxa Present in B.C.
"Agoseris aurantiaca is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft). It is in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects.
Suitable for: light (sandy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil." [PFAF]
"General: Perennial herb from a taproot and a simple or branching base; stems leafless, 1-several, exuding milky juice when broken, 10-60 cm tall." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Habitat / Range Mesic to dry open forests and meadows in the upper montane to alpine zones; frequent throughout BC; N to YT and NT; E to PQ and S to NM and CA" [IFBC-E-flora]
Status: Native [E-flora]
Edible Use
Medicinal Use
Cultivation & Propagation
"Prefers full sun and a sandy loam low in nutrients[133, 200]." [PFAF]
"Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 6 weeks at 15°c[133]. As soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer or late in the following spring. Division with care in spring[200]. The plants do not like a lot of root disturbance so it is best to pot up the divisions and keep them in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are established." [PFAF]
References
Subtaxa Present in B.C.
"Agoseris glauca is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft). It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen from June to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects.
Suitable for: light (sandy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil." [PFAF]
"General: Perennial from a long, heavy taproot; stems leafless, 1-several, exuding milky juice when broken, 10-70 cm tall." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Habitat / Range Mesic to dry grasslands, shrublands, open forests, meadows and scree slopes in the steppe to alpine zones; frequent throughout BC except rare in coastal BC; N to SE AK, E to AB and S to ID, MT and WA." [IFBC-E-flora]
Status: Native [E-flora]
Edible Use
Other Use
Medicinal Use
"The following reports refer to the sub-species A. glauca dasycephala (Torr.&Gray.)Jepson. An infusion of the entire plant is used as a wash for sores and rashes[257]. The milky latex is applied to warts in order to remove them[257]. This requires constant applications over a period of weeks for it to be effective[K]. A poultice made from the latex is applied to sores[257]. An infusion of the root is used as a laxative[257]." [PFAF]
References
"General: Perennial from a branched base; stems leafless, exuding milky juice when broken, 20-70 cm tall." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Habitat / Range Mesic to dry grassy slopes, meadows and forest openings from the lowland to the lower montane zones; infrequent in extreme S BC; S to UT, NV and CA." [IFBC-E-flora]
Status: Native [E-flora]
Synonyms:
References
Subtaxa Present in B.C.
"General: Annual from a fibrous root; stems leafless, solitary to more often several, exuding milky juice when broken, 3-45 cm tall." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Habitat / Range Dry grassy slopes, meadows and grasslands in the lowland, steppe and lower montane zones; frequent in extreme S BC; S to ID, UT, AZ and CA." [IFBC-E-flora]
Status: Native [E-flora]
References