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Erigeron oreganus

Gorge fleabane, Oregon fleabane

Erigeron howellii

Howell's fleabane

Habit Perennial from a stout, woody base and root, the lax stem 5-15 cm. long, covered with glands and loose, sticky hairs. Rhizomatous perennial, the stems 2-5 dm. tall, with a few woolly hairs under the heads.
Leaves

Basal leaves tufted, spatulate to obovate, coarsely toothed or incised, up to 9 cm. long and 2.5 cm. wide;

cauline leaves well developed, broadly lanceolate to ovate or elliptic, up to 4 cm. long and 1 cm. wide.

Leaves alternate, thin, glabrous, the lower ones with an ellipitical blade 2-8 cm. long and 1.5-4.5 cm. wide, abruptly contracted to the 2-12 cm. petiole; middle cauline leaves ovate to cordate, strongly clasping at the base; upper leaves similar but smaller.

Flowers

Heads 1-several in a leafy inflorescence, the disk 9-13 mm. wide;

involucre 5-7 mm. high, the bracts loose, equal, thin and green;

rays 30-60, pink or white to bluish; disk corollas 3.4-4.7 mm. long, yellow;

pappus simple, of 15-20 bristles that are curled and twisted above.

Heads solitary; disk 12-20 mm. wide;

involucre bracts loose, equal, glandular, somewhat herbaceous;

rays 30-50, white, 13-25 mm. long and 2-4 mm. wide; disk corollas yellow, 4-5 mm. long, the lobes flaring;

pappus simple, of 20-30 capillary bristles.

Fruits

Achenes asymmetrically 5-nerved.

Erigeron oreganus

Erigeron howellii

Flowering time May-September April-June
Habitat Moist shady cliffs and ledges. Moist, rocky places in the lowlands.
Distribution
Occurring in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; Columbia River Gorge in Washington to adjacent Gorge area in Oregon.
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[BONAP county map]
Known only from Skamania County in Washington; Skamania County, WA to Clackamas and Multnomah counties in Oregon.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Origin Native Native
Conservation status Threatened in Washington (WANHP) Threatened in Washington (WANHP)
Sibling taxa
E. acris, E. aliceae, E. annuus, E. aureus, E. basalticus, E. bloomeri, E. caespitosus, E. chrysopsidis, E. compositus, E. corymbosus, E. davisii, E. disparipilus, E. divergens, E. eatonii, E. elatus, E. filifolius, E. flettii, E. glacialis, E. howellii, E. inornatus, E. karvinskianus, E. leibergii, E. linearis, E. lonchophyllus, E. nivalis, E. peregrinus, E. philadelphicus, E. piperianus, E. poliospermus, E. pumilus, E. salishii, E. speciosus, E. strigosus, E. subtrinervis
E. acris, E. aliceae, E. annuus, E. aureus, E. basalticus, E. bloomeri, E. caespitosus, E. chrysopsidis, E. compositus, E. corymbosus, E. davisii, E. disparipilus, E. divergens, E. eatonii, E. elatus, E. filifolius, E. flettii, E. glacialis, E. inornatus, E. karvinskianus, E. leibergii, E. linearis, E. lonchophyllus, E. nivalis, E. oreganus, E. peregrinus, E. philadelphicus, E. piperianus, E. poliospermus, E. pumilus, E. salishii, E. speciosus, E. strigosus, E. subtrinervis
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