Agoseris aurantiaca
Agoseris aurantiaca is a species of plant in the sunflower family, commonly called orange agoseris or mountain dandelion. It is widespread and common in western North America from Alaska and the Northwest Territories in Canada southward to California, Arizona, and New Mexico, and eastward as far as the Rocky Mountains and the Black Hills. There are also isolated populations in the Chic-Choc Mountains on the Gaspe Peninsula and in the Otish Mountains of central Quebec.
Agoseris aurantiaca is primarily a species of mountainous regions and may be found in wet to dry habitats. It is a perennial herb producing a basal rosette of leaves. There is no stem, but it does produce several stem-like peduncles, each peduncle bearing a single flower head surrounded by glabrous to hairy phyllaries. The head is ligulate, containing several ray florets but no disc florets. The florets are most commonly orange but are occasionally yellow, pink, red, or purple. "Aurantiaca" means "orange-red". The flower head matures into a ball-like head of beaked achenes, each with a terminal pappus of numerous, white bristles.
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A cold infusion of this plant is used by the Ramah Navajo for protection against witches.
