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Herbs & Plants

Agoseris glauca

Botanical Name: Agoseris glauca
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Cichorioideae
Kingdom:Plantae
Order: Asterales
Tribe: Cichorieae
Genus: Agoseris
Species: A. glauca

Synonyms:
*Agoseris agrestis Osterh.
*Agoseris altissima Rydb.
*Agoseris apiculata Greene
*Agoseris aspera (Rydb.) Rydb.
*Agoseris dasycarpa Greene
*Agoseris eisenhoweri B.Boivin
*Agoseris isomeris Greene
*Agoseris lacera Greene
*Agoseris lanulosa Greene
*Agoseris lapathifolia Greene

Common Names: Pale agoseris, Prairie agoseris, Short-beaked agoseris, Mountain Dandelion, False agoseris

Habitat: Agoseris glauca is native to Western N. America – British Columbia to Manitoba, south to California and New Mexico. It grows on meadows and other open places at all elevations in moderately dry to moist or even wet soils.

Description:
Agoseris glauca is a perennial herb growing to 0.6 m (2ft) with varies in general appearance. It produces a basal patch of leaves of various shapes which may be as long as the plant is high. It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen from June to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects.

There is no stem but the plant flowers in a stemlike inflorescence which is sometimes erect, reaching heights near half a meter or taller. The flower head is one to three centimeters wide with layers of pointed phyllaries. The head is ligulate, bearing many yellow ray florets but no disc florets.

The fruit is an achene with a body up to a centimeter long and a pappus which may be almost 2 centimeters in length.

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Leaves:
Leaves all basal, linear to broadly oblanceolate, 5-35 cm. long and 1-30 mm. wide, entire or toothed to laciniate-pinnatifid.

Flowers:
Head solitary on the scape; involucre 1-3 cm. high, the bracts imbricate or sub-equal, sharply pointed or blunt; corollas all ligulate, yellow.

Fruits:
Achene body 5-12 mm. long, gradually tapering to a stout beak marked with fine, parallel lines, the beak very short to as long as the body.

Varieties:
*Agoseris glauca var. dasycephala (Torr. & A. Gray) Jeps.
*Agoseris glauca var. glauca

Cultivation:
Prefers full sun and a sandy or gravelly loam low in nutrients. The sub-species A. glauca villosa is used for its gum.

Propagation:
Seed – sow spring in a greenhouse. The seed usually germinates in 2 – 6 weeks at 15°c. As soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer or late in the following spring. Division with care in spring. The plants do not like a lot of root disturbance so it is best to pot up the divisions and keep them in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are established.

Edible Uses: The solidified sap (latex) of the stem is chewed as a gum.

Medicinal Uses:
The following reports refer to the sub-species A. glauca dasycephala (Torr.&Gray.)Jepson. An infusion of the entire plant is used as a wash for sores and rashes. The milky latex is applied to warts in order to remove them. This requires constant applications over a period of weeks for it to be effective. A poultice made from the latex is applied to sores. An infusion of the root is used as a laxative.

Other Uses:
A latex in the plant contains rubber, but not in sufficient quantities to make it commercially valuable.

Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agoseris_glauca
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Agoseris+glauca
http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Agoseris%20glauca

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