Nothocalais cuspidata
 
Prairie False Dandelion

Ligulate Floret

Buffalograss Provincial Ecological Reserve
23-May-2009

The flower head is composed entirely of ligulate florets, placing this species in tribe Lactuceae.

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