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rayless shaggy fleabane

Porsild's arctic fleabane

Habit Perennials, 2–20(–30) cm; taprooted, caudices branched. Perennials, (2–)10–20(–25) cm; rhizomatous, fibrous-rooted, rhizomes horizontal or erect, sometimes branched, relatively short, sometimes resembling taproots.
Stems

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

erect, sparsely to moderately villous (hairs 0.5–1.6 mm), usually stipitate-glandular (hairs 0.05–0.4 mm).

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 oblong-oblanceolate to narrowly obovate, 30–120 × (3–)5–14 mm, margins entire (apices acute), faces densely hirsute to coarsely villous, sparsely stipitate-glandular to minutely glandular;

cauline blades oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate, gradually reduced distally or nearly equal-sized (bases often subclasping).

Involucres

4–6 × 7–15 mm.

6–10 × 12–20 mm.

Ray florets

65–110;

corollas white to lavender or blue, 13–17 mm (1.2–1.7 mm wide), 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).

3.8–4.5 mm.

Phyllaries

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

in ca. 2 series (purple at least at tips, narrowly lanceolate, equal, apically acuminate), densely hirsute, hirsuto-villous, or villous (hairs whitish, cross walls not colored), sparsely stipitate-glandular to minutely glandular.

Heads

(disciform) 1–4.

1.

Cypselae

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

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

2–2.5 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of relatively long setae or scales, inner of 14–20(–25) bristles.

2n

= 36.

Erigeron aphanactis

Erigeron porsildii

Phenology Flowering (Jun–)Jul–Aug(–Sep).
Habitat Cliffs and talus (often calcareous) slopes, shaley gravel, grassy ravines, dry tundra
Elevation 600–2100 m (2000–6900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; OR; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; NT; YT
[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.)

Erigeron hultenii S. A. Spongberg was noted to be “closely allied to the polymorphic arctic-alpine species E. grandiflorus W. J. Hooker” (S. A. Spongberg 1973, p. 116) and to have a “close morphologic resemblance to some plants of E. grandiflorus from Alaska” [E. porsildii in the present sense] (p. 119). Plants corresponding to E. hultenii have not been recollected, and that taxon does not fit with any other known Alaskan species. Contrasts with E. porsildii exclude it from that species. Erigeron hultenii is not recognized formally herein.

(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. 324.
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. 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. 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. 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. grandiflorus subsp. arcticus
Name authority (A. Gray) Greene: Fl. Francisc., 389. (1897) G. L. Nesom & D. F. Murray: Sida 21: 44. (2004)
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