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silver fleabane, silvery daisy

abajo fleabane

Habit Perennials, (8–)15–30(–40) cm; taprooted, caudices branched, retaining old leaf bases. Perennials, (5–)10–25(–30) cm; taprooted, caudices simple or branched.
Stems

erect, densely gray-green to silvery-strigose (hairs white, closely appressed), eglandular.

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

Leaves

basal (persistent) and cauline (leaf bases broadened or not, not thickened and whitish-indurate);

basal blades spatulate to oblanceolate or narrowly oblanceolate, (15–)20–50(–70) × 1–4(–6) mm, margins entire, faces silvery-strigose, eglandular;

cauline blades linear to linear-oblanceolate, much reduced distally.

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

5.5–9 × (10–)12–22 mm.

5–7 × 10–13 mm.

Ray florets

20–50(–75);

corollas blue to lavender, less commonly pink or white, 9–15 mm, laminae coiling.

15–22;

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

Disc corollas

3.8–5.6 mm.

3.5–5 mm.

Phyllaries

in 3–4 series, silvery-strigose (hairs closely appressed), minutely glandular.

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

Heads

1.

1(–3).

Cypselae

(terete to slightly compressed) 2.8–3.4 mm, 6–8-nerved, faces strigoso-pilose;

pappi: outer of setae or lanceolate scales, inner of 25–40 bristles.

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

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

2n

= 18.

Erigeron argentatus

Erigeron canaani

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering Apr–Jun(–Jul).
Habitat Ridges and slopes in dry, sandy or gravelly soil, desert shrub, sagebrush, juniper and pinyon-juniper Crevices of sandstone cliffs and in sandy soil, ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, maple, Douglas fir, mixed conifers
Elevation 1300–2500 m (4300–8200 ft) 1600–2600 m (5200–8500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
UT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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. 295. 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. allocotus, E. alpiniformis, E. anchana, E. annuus, E. aphanactis, E. arenarioides, 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 A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 8: 649. (1873) S. L. Welsh: Great Basin Naturalist 43: 366. (1983)
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