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Erigeron oreganus

Gorge fleabane, Oregon fleabane

Erigeron piperianus

Piper'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. Perennial from a taproot and short, branched, woody base, the stem 3-10 cm. high and covered with short, stiff appressed hairs.
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 mostly basal or lower-cauline, linear, lax and curved, up to 4 cm. long and 1.5 mm. wide, with short, stiff, sharp-pointed hairs on the margins and appressed- hairy on the surfaces, the lower leaves with conspicuously enlarged, hardened, whitish bases.

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 or few, small, the disk 5-10 mm. wide;

involucre 3-5 mm. high, covered with long, white, stiff, spreading hairs;

rays 25-40, pistillate, yellow, 4-9 mm. long and 1.0-1.8 mm. wide; disk corollas 2.8-4.2 mm. long, yellow;

pappus of 15-25 capillary bristles.

Erigeron oreganus

Erigeron piperianus

Flowering time May-September May-June
Habitat Moist shady cliffs and ledges. Dry, open places, often in sandy soil among sagebrush.
Distribution
Occurring in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; Columbia River Gorge in Washington to adjacent Gorge area in Oregon.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Endemic to Washington, where occurring east of the Cascades crest from north-central to south-central Washington.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Origin Native Native
Conservation status Threatened in Washington (WANHP) Not of concern
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. howellii, E. inornatus, E. karvinskianus, E. leibergii, E. linearis, E. lonchophyllus, E. nivalis, E. oreganus, E. peregrinus, E. philadelphicus, E. poliospermus, E. pumilus, E. salishii, E. speciosus, E. strigosus, E. subtrinervis
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