Nothocalais cuspidata (Pursh) Greene
Species Image Gallery
(opens in a new window)
 
TAXONOMY
 
Family: Asteraceae or Compositae
Genus: Nothocalais
 
Species Synonyms: Microseris cuspidata (Pursh) Schultz-Bip.
Agoseris cuspidata (Pursh) Raf.
Common Names: wavy-leaf prairie dandelion
microseris
sharppoint microseris
sharppoint prairie dandelion
 
DISTRIBUTION
 
Canada: southeastern Alberta – southern Saskatchewan – southwestern Manitoba
Saskatchewan: central Saskatchewan; Big Muddy Valley – Qu’Appelle River
Ecoregion: Mixed Grassland, Moist Mixed Grassland, Aspen Parkland
 
HABITAT
 
Saskatchewan: dry, often eroded grassland slopes
Associated species: broom snakeweed, foothill arnica, hairy false goldenaster, lamb-tongue ragwort, prairie coneflower, prairie onion, Rocky Mountain blazing star, scarlet gaura
 
RARITY STATUS
 
Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):
Vulnerable
Nature Conservancy Status:
G5 N2 S2
Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:
None
COSEWIC Status:
None
 
Wavy-leaf prairie dandelion is vulnerable because most of the local populations are small. No immediate threats have been identified.
 
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
 
Height: 10 – 30 cm tall
Roots: thick taproot
Stems: leafless, hairy near head, slightly longer than leaves
Leaves: all basal, sessile, 10 – 30 cm long, to 2 cm wide, linear, tip long tapered, white woolly along margins and on veins, margin entire or wavy
Inflorescence: heads solitary, ray flowers only; bracts in 2 unequal, weakly overlapping series, 17 – 25 mm high, oval to lance-shaped, brown to purple; receptacle naked
Flowers: ray flowers fertile, toothed at tips, yellow, drying purple
Fruits: achenes 8 – 10 mm long, 8 – 10-nerved, beakless; pappus 40 – 80 mixed capillary bristles and long-tapered scales, white
 
AGOSERIS VERSUS NOTHOCALAIS IN SASKATCHEWAN
 
Leaf margins not white woolly; achenes beaked
Agoseris
Leaf margins white woolly, achenes beakless
Nothocalais