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Big Horn fleabane

abajo fleabane

Habit Perennials, 10–18 cm; taprooted, caudices multicipital or branched. Perennials, (5–)10–25(–30) cm; taprooted, caudices simple or branched.
Stems

erect to ascending (branched, brittle), hispido-hirsute (hairs brittle), minutely glandular.

ascending to decumbent or nearly prostrate, sparsely strigose to glabrate, eglandular.

Leaves

basal (often not persistent) and cauline;

blades spatulate 15–30 × 1.5–4 mm, cauline gradually reduced distally (reduced to bracts on peduncles), margins usually 3-lobed (lobes linear to oblong-oblanceolate, about as wide as central portion of blades), sometimes 2-ternate or (cauline) entire, faces sparsely hispido-hirsute, minutely glandular.

basal (persistent, old leaf bases persistent, chaffy, fibrous) and cauline;

basal blades linear to narrowly linear-oblanceolate, 50–150 × 1–2(–3) mm;

cauline gradually or abruptly reduced distally, margins entire, faces glabrate to sparsely strigose, eglandular.

Involucres

4–5 × 6–9 mm.

5–7 × 10–13 mm.

Ray florets

20–40;

corollas white to bluish, sometimes drying pink, 3–6 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing.

15–22;

corollas white to purplish, 3.5–6 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing.

Disc corollas

2.5–3.5 mm.

3.5–5 mm.

Phyllaries

in 2–3 series, glabrous or sometimes sparsely hispid, densely minutely glandular.

in 2–3(–4) series, hirsute, minutely glandular.

Heads

usually 2–4.

1(–3).

Cypselae

2–2.3 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 12–20 bristles.

1.8–2.2 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of ca. 20 bristles.

Erigeron allocotus

Erigeron canaani

Phenology Flowering May–Aug. Flowering Apr–Jun(–Jul).
Habitat Dry, calcareous sites on cliff faces, ledges, talus slopes, ridgetops, rock outcrops, barren redbeds, sometimes with Utah juniper, mountain mahogany, or sagebrush Crevices of sandstone cliffs and in sandy soil, ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, maple, Douglas fir, mixed conifers
Elevation 1300–2300 m (4300–7500 ft) 1600–2600 m (5200–8500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
MT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
UT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The brittle, hispid vestiture, and multiple small heads (more than one per stem) with short rays of Erigeron allocotus are unusual among its putative relatives with 3-parted leaves.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Erigeron higginsii may prove to be a distinct entity. It was described as differing from E. canaani in having smaller involucres (4.5–5.5 × 7.5–11 mm) with fewer rays (7–12); it occurs at 2900–3120 m in the Pine Valley Mountains of southwestern Utah.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 299. FNA vol. 20, p. 282.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Erigeron Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Erigeron
Sibling taxa
E. abajoensis, E. acomanus, E. acris, E. aequifolius, E. algidus, E. aliceae, E. alpiniformis, E. anchana, E. annuus, E. aphanactis, E. arenarioides, E. argentatus, E. arisolius, E. arizonicus, E. asperugineus, E. aureus, E. barbellulatus, E. basalticus, E. bellidiastrum, E. bigelovii, E. biolettii, E. blochmaniae, E. bloomeri, E. breweri, E. caespitosus, E. calvus, E. canaani, E. canus, E. cascadensis, E. cavernensis, E. cervinus, E. chrysopsidis, E. clokeyi, E. compactus, E. compositus, E. concinnus, E. consimilis, E. corymbosus, E. coulteri, E. cronquistii, E. davisii, E. decumbens, E. denalii, E. disparipilus, E. divergens, E. eatonii, E. elatior, E. elatus, E. elegantulus, E. elmeri, E. engelmannii, E. evermannii, E. eximius, E. filifolius, E. flabellifolius, E. flagellaris, E. flettii, E. foliosus, E. formosissimus, E. garrettii, E. geiseri, E. glabellus, E. glacialis, E. glaucus, E. goodrichii, E. gracilis, E. grandiflorus, E. greenei, E. heliographis, E. hessii, E. howellii, E. humilis, E. hyperboreus, E. hyssopifolius, E. inornatus, E. jonesii, E. kachinensis, E. karvinskianus, E. klamathensis, E. kuschei, E. lackschewitzii, E. lanatus, E. lassenianus, E. latus, E. leibergii, E. leiomerus, E. lemmonii, E. linearis, E. lobatus, E. lonchophyllus, E. maguirei, E. mancus, E. maniopotamicus, E. mariposanus, E. melanocephalus, E. miser, E. modestus, E. muirii, E. multiceps, E. nanus, E. nauseosus, E. nematophyllus, E. neomexicanus, E. nivalis, E. ochroleucus, E. oreganus, E. oreophilus, E. ovinus, E. oxyphyllus, E. pallens, E. parishii, E. parryi, E. peregrinus, E. petrophilus, E. philadelphicus, E. pinnatisectus, E. piperianus, E. piscaticus, E. poliospermus, E. porsildii, E. pringlei, E. procumbens, E. pulchellus, E. pulcherrimus, E. pumilus, E. purpuratus, E. pygmaeus, E. quercifolius, E. radicatus, E. reductus, E. religiosus, E. rhizomatus, E. robustior, E. rybius, E. rydbergii, E. salishii, E. salmonensis, E. sanctarum, E. saxatilis, E. sceptrifer, E. scopulinus, E. serpentinus, E. sionis, E. sivinskii, E. sparsifolius, E. speciosus, E. strigosus, E. subglaber, E. subtrinervis, E. supplex, E. tenellus, E. tener, E. tenuis, E. tracyi, E. trifidus, E. tweedyi, E. uintahensis, E. uncialis, E. uniflorus, E. untermannii, E. ursinus, E. utahensis, E. vagus, E. velutipes, E. vernus, E. versicolor, E. vetensis, E. vicinus, E. vreelandii, E. watsonii, E. wilkenii, E. yukonensis
E. abajoensis, E. acomanus, E. acris, E. aequifolius, E. algidus, E. aliceae, E. allocotus, E. alpiniformis, E. anchana, E. annuus, E. aphanactis, E. arenarioides, E. argentatus, E. arisolius, E. arizonicus, E. asperugineus, E. aureus, E. barbellulatus, E. basalticus, E. bellidiastrum, E. bigelovii, E. biolettii, E. blochmaniae, E. bloomeri, E. breweri, E. caespitosus, E. calvus, E. canus, E. cascadensis, E. cavernensis, E. cervinus, E. chrysopsidis, E. clokeyi, E. compactus, E. compositus, E. concinnus, E. consimilis, E. corymbosus, E. coulteri, E. cronquistii, E. davisii, E. decumbens, E. denalii, E. disparipilus, E. divergens, E. eatonii, E. elatior, E. elatus, E. elegantulus, E. elmeri, E. engelmannii, E. evermannii, E. eximius, E. filifolius, E. flabellifolius, E. flagellaris, E. flettii, E. foliosus, E. formosissimus, E. garrettii, E. geiseri, E. glabellus, E. glacialis, E. glaucus, E. goodrichii, E. gracilis, E. grandiflorus, E. greenei, E. heliographis, E. hessii, E. howellii, E. humilis, E. hyperboreus, E. hyssopifolius, E. inornatus, E. jonesii, E. kachinensis, E. karvinskianus, E. klamathensis, E. kuschei, E. lackschewitzii, E. lanatus, E. lassenianus, E. latus, E. leibergii, E. leiomerus, E. lemmonii, E. linearis, E. lobatus, E. lonchophyllus, E. maguirei, E. mancus, E. maniopotamicus, E. mariposanus, E. melanocephalus, E. miser, E. modestus, E. muirii, E. multiceps, E. nanus, E. nauseosus, E. nematophyllus, E. neomexicanus, E. nivalis, E. ochroleucus, E. oreganus, E. oreophilus, E. ovinus, E. oxyphyllus, E. pallens, E. parishii, E. parryi, E. peregrinus, E. petrophilus, E. philadelphicus, E. pinnatisectus, E. piperianus, E. piscaticus, E. poliospermus, E. porsildii, E. pringlei, E. procumbens, E. pulchellus, E. pulcherrimus, E. pumilus, E. purpuratus, E. pygmaeus, E. quercifolius, E. radicatus, E. reductus, E. religiosus, E. rhizomatus, E. robustior, E. rybius, E. rydbergii, E. salishii, E. salmonensis, E. sanctarum, E. saxatilis, E. sceptrifer, E. scopulinus, E. serpentinus, E. sionis, E. sivinskii, E. sparsifolius, E. speciosus, E. strigosus, E. subglaber, E. subtrinervis, E. supplex, E. tenellus, E. tener, E. tenuis, E. tracyi, E. trifidus, E. tweedyi, E. uintahensis, E. uncialis, E. uniflorus, E. untermannii, E. ursinus, E. utahensis, E. vagus, E. velutipes, E. vernus, E. versicolor, E. vetensis, E. vicinus, E. vreelandii, E. watsonii, E. wilkenii, E. yukonensis
Synonyms E. higginsii
Name authority S. F. Blake: J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 27: 379. (1937) S. L. Welsh: Great Basin Naturalist 43: 366. (1983)
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