The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

dwarf blue fleabane, volcanic fleabane

Coulter's fleabane

Habit Plants perennial, 4–10 cm; taprooted, with branching caudices. Plants perennial, 15–55 cm; roots fibrous, rhizomatous, occasionally with branching caudices.
Stems

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

erect, sparsely villous, 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.

occasionally withering by flowering, broadly oblanceolate-elliptic, 40–150 × 10–25 mm;

margins entire or occasionally with poorly developed teeth;

surfaces sparsely strigose or hirsute, eglandular.

Cauline leaves

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

lanceolate to elliptic, 10–80 × 2.5–25(30) mm, gradually reduced distally, bases clasping;

margins entire or with minute teeth.

Involucres

3–5 × 8–11 mm.

5–8 × 11–17 mm.

Ray florets

15–30, lavender to purple;

rays 3–8 × 0.7–1.3 mm.

60–110, white;

rays 8–15 × 0.5–1 mm.

Disc florets

corollas 2.5–3.5 mm.

corollas 3–5 mm.

Phyllaries

in 3–4 unequal series;

surfaces sparsely strigose, eglandular.

in 2–3 series;

surfaces moderately to densely hirsute or villous, eglandular to minutely glandular.

Fruits

1–2 mm, nearly glabrous to sparsely strigose;

inner pappi of numerous barbellate bristles.

1.5–2 mm, sparsely strigose;

inner pappi of numerous barbellate bristles.

Heads

1, radiate.

1(3), radiate.

2n

=27.

=18.

Erigeron elegantulus

Erigeron coulteri

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.

Moist coniferous forests, wet meadows. Flowering Jun–Aug. 1100–2000 m. BW. CA, ID, NV; northeast to MT, east to WY, southeast to NM. Native.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 256
James Riser, Stephen Meyers
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 255
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. aliceae, E. annuus, E. aphanactis, E. aureus, E. bloomeri, E. cascadensis, E. cervinus, E. chrysopsidis, E. compositus, E. corymbosus, 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
Web links