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sand fleabane, western daisy fleabane, western fleabane

dwarf daisy, pygmy fleabane

Habit Annuals (or biennials?), 3.5–30(–50) cm; taprooted. Perennials, 1–6(–14) cm; taprooted, caudex branches relatively thick, retaining old leaf bases.
Stems

erect to ascending, hirsutulous (hairs upcurved), usually eglandular, sometimes minutely glandular (var. arenarius).

erect, hirtellous to sparsely hirsute (hairs straight-spreading, not deflexed), densely minutely glandular.

Leaves

basal (sometimes persistent) and cauline or mostly cauline;

blades linear to oblanceolate or spatulate, 10–60(–80) × 2–6(–9, or 15) mm, margins entire, lobed, or pinnately dissected, faces sparsely strigose, eglandular.

basal (persistent) and cauline (petioles prominently ciliate, hairs spreading, thick-based);

blades linear to narrowly oblanceolate or subspatulate (usually folding), 20–35(–45) × 2–4 mm;

cauline often abruptly reduced distally, margins entire, faces hirsuto-strigose, densely minutely glandular.

Involucres

3–5 × 5–7(–11) mm.

4–7 × 6–15 mm.

Ray florets

22–70 (some positioned among inner phyllaries);

corollas white, often with abaxial lilac midstripe, drying white to bluish, 4–7.5 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing.

20–37;

corollas usually blue or purple, rarely white, 4–10 mm, laminae tardily, often only slightly, reflexing.

Disc corollas

2.2–3 mm (throats indurate and inflated).

3.7–5.3 mm (throats tubular).

Phyllaries

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

in 2–3 series (commonly purplish to purplish black, sometimes only at tips, midvein region greenish), hirsute, densely minutely glandular.

Heads

1–12 usually in diffuse arrays (from branches beyond midstems or sometimes clustered distally).

1.

Cypselae

1–1.6(–1.8) mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer cartilaginous crowns, inner of 15–18 bristles.

2.3–2.8 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of inconspicuous, fine setae, inner of 15–25 bristles.

2n

= 18.

Erigeron bellidiastrum

Erigeron pygmaeus

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Rocky ridges or slopes, often talus, above timberline, sometimes alpine
Elevation 2900–4100 m (9500–13500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; KS; MT; NE; NM; OK; SD; TX; UT; WY; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

Erigeron bellidiastrum is recognized by its annual duration, upcurved hairs of the stem, relatively few rays, 1-seriate pappi, and by some ray florets consistently produced between the phyllaries, the mature cypselae of these held in place as the phyllaries reflex at maturity.

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

Erigeron pygmaeus is found in the Sierra Nevada.

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

Key
1. Basal and proximal cauline leaf margins deeply dentate to pinnately lobed
var. arenarius
1. Basal and proximal cauline leaf margins entire or rarely with pair of shallow teeth
→ 2
2. Proximal stems mostly 1–2(–2.5) mm wide; basal and proximal cauline leaf blades linear to linear-oblanceolate, 10–15(–30) × 1–2.5(–3) mm
var. bellidiastrum
2. Proximal stems mostly (2–)2.5–5 mm wide; basal and proximal cauline leaf blades oblanceolate, 20–40(–60) × 3–5(–15) mm
var. robustus
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 338. FNA vol. 20, p. 292.
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. argentatus, E. arisolius, E. arizonicus, E. asperugineus, E. aureus, E. barbellulatus, E. basalticus, 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. porsildii, E. pringlei, E. procumbens, E. pulchellus, E. pulcherrimus, E. pumilus, E. purpuratus, 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. bellidiastrum var. arenarius, E. bellidiastrum var. bellidiastrum, E. bellidiastrum var. robustus
Synonyms E. nevadensis var. pygmaeus
Name authority Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 307. (1840) (A. Gray) Greene: Fl. Francisc., 390. (1897)
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