Nothocalais cuspidata
 
Prairie False Dandelion

Flower Head Side

Buffalograss Provincial Ecological Reserve
17-May-2009

Budd's Flora places this species in genus Microseris, while Flora of Alberta places it in Nothocalais.  The key to the genera in Flora of Alberta requires involucre of 2 or more series; NOT [involucre uniseriate or biseriate] which is somewhat illogical.  In fact, the involucral bracts of this species are equal in two series.

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Cuspidata: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora leading to this species. 
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leaves all basal; NOT [usually at least one stem leaf]

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scape with a solitary flower

 

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Nothocalais: Answers to key questions in Flora of Alberta leading to this genus. 
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juice milky; NOT [juice watery]

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stem NOT diffusely branched

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plants scapose, leaves all basal; NOT [plants with at least some cauline leaves, though they may be reduced to bracts]

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NOT [leaves few, cauline, mostly linear or reduced to scales]

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leaf margins conspicuously white villous-ciliolate

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heads solitary; NOT [heads few to many, rarely solitary]

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involucre of 2 or more series; NOT [involucre uniseriate or biseriate]

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involucral bracts more or less equal or somewhat imbricate in several series; NOT [involucral bracts in 2 unequal series]

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flowers all ligulate

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flowers all perfect

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flowers yellow

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achenes 5-10 nerved; NOT [achenes 4-5 ribbed]

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achenes NOT spinulose or muricate; NOT [at least upper body of achenes spinulose or muricate]

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pappus well developed, at least in part of capillary bristles; NOT [pappus of minutes scales or none]

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pappus NOT scale-like at the base, entirely of capillary bristles; NOT [pappus scale-like at the base, with plumose terminal bristles]

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pappus-bristles NOT plumose