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silver fleabane, silvery daisy

buff daisy, buff fleabane

Habit Perennials, (8–)15–30(–40) cm; taprooted, caudices branched, retaining old leaf bases. Perennials, (2–)8–18(–20, 30) cm; taprooted, caudices usually simple, rarely branched, relatively thick, woody.
Stems

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

ascending (greenish), loosely strigose to puberulent-strigose, sometimes sparsely minutely glandular.

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

basal blades linear to linear-oblanceolate, (20–)40–90(–120) × 1–4(–5) mm;

cauline reduced distally or often little reduced on at least proximal 1/2 of stems, (bases gradually tapering) margins entire (apices acute), abaxial faces glabrous at least on distal 1/4–1/2, strigose proximally, adaxial loosely strigose, eglandular.

Involucres

5.5–9 × (10–)12–22 mm.

5.5–7 × 10–15(–18) mm.

Ray florets

20–50(–75);

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

30–62;

corollas white to pinkish, bluish, or lavender, (7–)8–12 mm, laminae coiling.

Disc corollas

3.8–5.6 mm.

2.8–3.6 mm.

Phyllaries

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

in 3–4 series, densely and loosely hirsuto-villous (hairs whitish, without colored cross walls), 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.

2–2.6 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely villosulous (often hairs spreading);

pappi: outer of setae or scales, inner of 12–15 bristles.

2n

= 18.

Erigeron argentatus

Erigeron ochroleucus

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Ridges and slopes in dry, sandy or gravelly soil, desert shrub, sagebrush, juniper and pinyon-juniper Rocky or sandy slopes, limestone outcrops, ridges, and talus, meadows, sagebrush-grassland, juniper-mountain mahogany, ponderosa pine, limber pine, limber pine–Douglas fir, alpine tundra
Elevation 1300–2500 m (4300–8200 ft) 1100–3000(–3300) m (3600–9800(–10800) ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; MT; NE; SD; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Plants recognized as var. scribneri are smaller but otherwise essentially similar to typical plants, except for a tendency to produce bluish rays. They occur mostly at higher elevations than more typical plants. P. Lesica (2005) maintained var. scribneri and mapped the two varietites as essentially congruent in geographic range.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 295. FNA vol. 20, p. 294.
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. 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. 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. laetevirens, E. montanus, E. ochroleucus var. scribneri, E. scribneri, E. tweedyanus
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 8: 649. (1873) Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 311. (1840)
Web links