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threadleaf fleabane

Erigeron aliceae

Alice Eastwood's fleabane

Habit Plants perennial, 9–40 cm; taprooted, with branching caudices. Plants perennial, 30–70 cm; fibrous-rooted, rhizomatous, caudices sometimes branching.
Stems

erect, moderately to densely strigose, eglandular.

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

Basal leaves

persistent, linear to filiform, 20–80 × 0.5–2 mm;

margins entire;

tips rounded to acute or acuminate;

surfaces moderately to densely 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

gradually reduced distally or not.

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

Involucres

4–6 × 7–11 mm.

5–7 × 13–17 mm.

Ray florets

20–40, white to purple;

rays 3–9 × 0.7–1.5 mm.

30–80, white to lavender to purple;

rays 4–12 × 1–1.5 mm.

Disc florets

corollas 2–4 mm.

corollas 2–4 mm.

Phyllaries

in 2–4 series;

surfaces moderately to densely strigose or villous, sometimes nearly glabrous distally, densely minutely glandular.

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

surfaces white woolly-villous, glandular.

Fruits

1–3 mm, sparsely strigose;

inner pappi of numerous barbellate bristles.

2–3 mm, moderately to densely strigose;

inner pappi of numerous barbellate bristles.

Heads

1–5 in corymb-like arrays, radiate.

1–few, radiate.

2n

=18.

Erigeron filifolius

Erigeron aliceae

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

Rocky areas, sagebrush, juniper and pine forests. Flowering Apr–Aug. 50–2200 m. BR, BW, Col, ECas, Lava, Owy. CA, ID, NV, WA; north to British Columbia, northeast to MT, southeast to UT. Native.

If subspecific taxa were recognized, Oregon specimens would correspond to the typical variety.

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. elegantulus, 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
Synonyms Erigeron filifolius var. filifolius, Erigeron filifolius var. robustior
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