Microseris borealis (Bong.) Sch. Bip.
apargidium
Asteraceae (Aster family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Ryan Batten     (Photo ID #23889)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Microseris borealis
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

General:
Perennial herb from a taproot; stem erect to ascending, simple, solitary, expanded at the base, leafless or with 1 or 2 small bracts, exuding milky juice when broken, 10-60 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves linear-oblanceolate, entire to few-toothed, often pointed at the tip, glabrous, 5-30 cm long, 2-12 mm wide; stem leaves lacking.
Flowers:
Heads with strap-shaped flowers, solitary at end of stems; involucres 10-18 mm tall; involucral bracts lanceolate, the inner ones tapering to a slender tip, the outer shorter and overlapping, glabrous or sometimes lightly black-woolly; ray flowers yellow.
Fruits:
Achenes smooth, ribbed, brown, 4-8 mm long; pappus of 30-60 brownish, finely-barbed bristles only slightly thickened at the bases.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Microseris borealis

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
247 0 990
Slope Gradient (%)
17 0 90

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

7 0 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
5 0 8
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
B
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
111
Modal BEC Zone Class
CWH

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

AT(1), CMA(4), CWH(82), MH(24)

Habitat and Range

Wet to moist meadows and sphagnum bogs in the lowland to alpine zones; common in coastal BC; N to AK and S to N CA.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Apargidium boreale (Bong.) Torr. & A. Gray