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dwarf blue fleabane, volcanic fleabane

Erigeron aliceae

Alice Eastwood's fleabane

Habit Plants perennial, 4–10 cm; taprooted, with branching caudices. Plants perennial, 30–70 cm; fibrous-rooted, rhizomatous, caudices sometimes branching.
Stems

erect to basally ascending, sparsely to moderately strigose, eglandular.

erect, nearly glabrous or sparsely strigose often becoming more so distally, eglandular.

Basal leaves

persistent, linear to filiform, 20–50 × 0.5–1 mm, white, bases sheathing;

margins entire;

tips round to acute or acuminate;

surfaces sparsely to moderately strigose.

usually persistent, lanceolate to oblanceolate, 50–120 × 10–30 mm;

margins entire, sometimes coarsely toothed with 1–5 pairs of teeth;

midveins prominent, rarely with 2 prominent veins;

surfaces remotely to moderately strigose.

Cauline leaves

abruptly reduced and usually restricted to basal ? of stem, bases sheathing.

well developed, lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 10–80 × 3–14 mm, distally reduced, bases clasping.

Involucres

3–5 × 8–11 mm.

5–7 × 13–17 mm.

Ray florets

15–30, lavender to purple;

rays 3–8 × 0.7–1.3 mm.

30–80, white to lavender to purple;

rays 4–12 × 1–1.5 mm.

Disc florets

corollas 2.5–3.5 mm.

corollas 2–4 mm.

Phyllaries

in 3–4 unequal series;

surfaces sparsely strigose, eglandular.

in 2–3 series, with dark green medial area;

surfaces white woolly-villous, glandular.

Fruits

1–2 mm, nearly glabrous to sparsely strigose;

inner pappi of numerous barbellate bristles.

2–3 mm, moderately to densely strigose;

inner pappi of numerous barbellate bristles.

Heads

1, radiate.

1–few, radiate.

2n

=27.

Erigeron elegantulus

Erigeron aliceae

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Rocky areas, sagebrush, coniferous forests. Flowering Jun–Aug. 700–2500 m. BR, BW, Casc, Owy. CA. Native.

Meadows, ridges, prairies. Flowering Jun–Sep. 400–2200 m. Casc, CR, ECas, Sisk. CA, WA. Native.

This is a variable species that can be confused with Erigeron glacialis. The woolly-villous phyllaries best distinguish E. aliceae from E. glacialis.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 256
James Riser, Stephen Meyers
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 252
James Riser, Stephen Meyers
Sibling taxa
E. acris, E. aliceae, E. annuus, E. aphanactis, E. aureus, E. bloomeri, E. cascadensis, E. cervinus, E. chrysopsidis, E. compositus, E. corymbosus, E. coulteri, E. decumbens, E. disparipilus, E. divergens, E. eatonii, E. filifolius, E. foliosus, E. glacialis, E. glaucus, E. howellii, E. inornatus, E. karvinskianus, E. klamathensis, E. latus, E. linearis, E. lonchophyllus, E. nivalis, E. oreganus, E. peregrinus, E. petrophilus, E. philadelphicus, E. poliospermus, E. pumilus, E. simplex, E. speciosus, E. stanselliae, E. strigosus, E. tener, E. vagus
E. acris, E. annuus, E. aphanactis, E. aureus, E. bloomeri, E. cascadensis, E. cervinus, E. chrysopsidis, E. compositus, E. corymbosus, E. coulteri, E. decumbens, E. disparipilus, E. divergens, E. eatonii, E. elegantulus, E. filifolius, E. foliosus, E. glacialis, E. glaucus, E. howellii, E. inornatus, E. karvinskianus, E. klamathensis, E. latus, E. linearis, E. lonchophyllus, E. nivalis, E. oreganus, E. peregrinus, E. petrophilus, E. philadelphicus, E. poliospermus, E. pumilus, E. simplex, E. speciosus, E. stanselliae, E. strigosus, E. tener, E. vagus
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