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Western dwarf-dandelion

Krigia occidentalis Nutt.

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Western dwarf-dandelion florets
Western dwarf-dandelion
Western dwarf-dandelion leaves
Western dwarf-dandelion

Morphology

Stem
Erect, simple, glabrous or sparsely stipe-glandular distally.
Leaves
Basal, alternate; petiole present; blade oblanceolate to ovate, .4 to 2.75 inch long, .08 to .4 inch wide, margins entire or few-lobed, surfaces glabrous or sparsely pubescent along margins and abaxially along veins.
Inflorescence
Head, solitary, ligulate; involucres turbinate to campanulate, .16 to .28 inch; phyllaries 4-7 in 1-2 series, erect in fruit, lanceolate, apex acute.
Flower
Florets 6-25; corolla yellow to orange yellow, .2 to .3 inch.
Fruit
Achenes brownish, obconic, .05 to .07 inch, glabrous, ribbed; pappus of 5 outer scales ca. .02 inch and usually 5 (sometimes 0) inner bristles, white, .05 to .08 inch.

Ecology

Habitat
Sandy, tallgrass prairies and sandstone glades
Distribution
Southeast 1/4 of Kansas

Additional Notes

Comments

Krigia, for David Krieg, a German physician who collected plants in Delaware and Maryland and occidentalis, western.

Quick Facts
Plant Type
Wildflower
Family
Asteraceae - Sunflower Family
Life Span
Annual
Height
1.5-6.3 inches
Origin
Native
Last Updated
2016-08-06
Color Groups
Yellow Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Blooms: April, May