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Erigeron oreganus

Gorge fleabane, Oregon fleabane

showy daisy, showy fleabane, splendid 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 short, woody base, 1.5-8 dm. tall, the stems clustered, amply leafy, glabrous below the inflorescence.
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 glabrous, triple-nerved, entire, the lower oblanceolate or spatulate, petiolate, mostly deciduous, the other becoming sessile but ample.

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 1-13 in a open inflorescence;

involucre 6-9 mm. high, glandular;

rays 65-150, blue or rarely white, 9-18 mm. long and 1 mm. wide;

pappus 20-30 bristles, a few of the outer ones shorter.

Fruits

Achenes 2-nerved.

Erigeron oreganus

Erigeron speciosus

Flowering time May-September June-August
Habitat Moist shady cliffs and ledges. Prairies and forest openings from the lowlands to middle elevations in the mountains.
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]
Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.
[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. piperianus, E. poliospermus, E. pumilus, E. salishii, E. strigosus, E. subtrinervis
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