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rayless shaggy fleabane

abajo fleabane

Habit Perennials, 2–20(–30) cm; taprooted, caudices branched. Perennials, 5–15(–24) cm; taprooted, caudices branches relatively thick and short, retaining old leaf bases.
Stems

erect to slightly decumbent-ascending, canescent-hirsute, densely stipitate-glandular.

ascending to decumbent (greenish proximally), usually loosely strigose (hairs ascending, attenuate, basal cells erect), uncommonly hirsute or hirtellous (hairs spreading-deflexed), eglandular.

Leaves

basal (persistent) and cauline (petioles prominently ciliate, at least on proximal portions, hairs thick-based, spreading);

basal blades linear-oblanceolate to spatulate, 20–80 × 2–7 mm;

cauline gradually or abruptly reduced distally, sometimes bractlike (stems scapiform), margins entire, faces canescent-hirsute, densely stipitate-glandular (hairs finer).

basal (persistent) and cauline;

basal blades usually oblanceolate, 15–70 × 2–6(–8) mm (bases attenuate), margins entire (apices rounded to obtuse);

cauline blades linear to linear-oblong or narrowly lanceolate-oblong, mostly 10–40 × 1.5–4 mm, gradually reduced distally;

faces strigose, eglandular.

Involucres

4–6 × 7–15 mm.

3.7–5.2 × (5–)10–11 mm.

Ray florets

35–60;

corollas blue to pink or white, 5–6 mm, laminae weakly coiling.

Ray (pistillate) florets

30–45;

corollas usually tubular, lacking laminae, or laminae shorter than involucres.

Disc corollas

2.8–4.5 mm (throats white-indurate and inflated, conspicuously puberulent).

2.5–4 mm.

Phyllaries

in 2–3 series, coarsely hirsute, densely minutely glandular.

in 2–3(–4) series, strigose to strigulose or finely hirsuto-villous, minutely glandular.

Heads

(disciform) 1–4.

1–4.

Cypselae

1.5–1.8 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose (carpopodia whitish);

pappi: outer of scales or setae, inner of 7–20 bristles.

1.5–2 mm, 2-nerved, faces strigose;

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

Erigeron aphanactis

Erigeron abajoensis

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Rocky or gravelly open slopes, sagebrush, pinyon-juniper, ponderosa pine, spruce-fir
Elevation (2000–)2800–3500 m ((6600–)9200–11500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; OR; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; UT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Erigeron aphanactis is distinguished from E. austiniae by its conspicuously puberulent (versus essentially glabrous) disc corollas and white (versus yellow) carpopodia; it also is similiar in habit and vestiture to E. concinnus, which has conspicuous white to pinkish rays.

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

Of conservation concern.

Erigeron abajoensis is a segregate of E. caespitosus, separated from the latter only by its strigose (versus hirsute) stems and leaves and greater tendency for 1-nerved leaves. Further, some populations of E. abajoensis have plants variable in orientation of stem vestiture [both antrorsely appressed and deflexed; e.g., Cronquist 9430, Garfield Co., Utah (BRIT, NY); Heil and Clifford 17919, Apache Co., Ariz. (BRIT, SJNM)] and similar variation in cauline vestiture also occurs in E. caespitosus.

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

Key
1. Stems leafy; heads usually 2–3; disc corolla lobes usually yellowish
var. aphanactis
1. Stems scapiform; heads 1; disc corolla lobes sometimes becoming reddish or purplish
var. congestus
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 291. FNA vol. 20, p. 283.
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. allocotus, E. alpiniformis, E. anchana, E. annuus, 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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
E. aphanactis var. aphanactis, E. aphanactis var. congestus
Synonyms E. concinnus var. aphanactis E. awapensis
Name authority (A. Gray) Greene: Fl. Francisc., 389. (1897) Cronquist: Brittonia 6: 168. (1947)
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