The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Brewer's daisy, Brewer's fleabane

Elmer's erigeron, Elmer's fleabane

Habit Perennials, 7–75 cm; taprooted (taproots usually not collected, often weakly developed), roots and caudices woody, branches rhizomelike (3–15 cm; fibrous-rooted), relatively slender, leafless, ascending. Perennials, 6–20 cm; apparently taprooted (often not evident or not collected), rhizomes relatively slender, woody fibrous-rooted or rhizomelike caudex branches.
Stems

usually ascending, sometimes prostrate to procumbent or decumbent (var. jacinteus) (often purple, distal branches stiff, spreading-ascending), hispid (hairs spreading-deflexed, 0.1–0.4 mm), mostly eglandular.

prostrate to decumbent-trailing, less commonly ascending-erect (without axillary leaf tufts), sparsely to moderately strigose, eglandular.

Leaves

cauline; (ascending) blades narrowly oblong-lanceolate to narrowly obovate, 10–40 × 2–5 mm, margins entire, relatively evenly spaced and sized, hispid, mostly eglandular.

cauline;

blades narrowly lanceolate to oblong, 5–20 × 1–2 mm, relatively even-sized, margins entire, faces strigose, eglandular.

Involucres

mostly 4–6 × 9–14 mm.

3.5–5 × 7–10 mm.

Ray florets

20–62;

corollas white or pink, often drying blue, 4–7 mm, laminae weakly coiling.

12–21;

corollas white, drying bluish, 5–6 mm, laminae coiling.

Disc corollas

3.5–5.5 mm (throats slightly indurate, not inflated).

3.5–4 mm (throats slightly indurate, not inflated).

Phyllaries

in 3–5 series (all but outermost with stramineous margins and distal, greenish-herbaceous, narrowly rhomboid areas), strigoso- to hispido-hirsute or essentially glabrous, densely minutely glandular.

in 3–5 series (often purple-tipped; margins of inner narrowly scarious), glabrous, minutely glandular.

Heads

1 or 2–5(–10) in loosely corymbiform arrays.

1 or 2–3.

Cypselae

2–3 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of (15–)20–35(–50) bristles.

1.6–2.5 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 18–26 bristles.

Erigeron breweri

Erigeron elmeri

Phenology Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat Ledges, crevices, cracks, talus
Elevation 1300–3300 m (4300–10800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 5 (5 in the flora).

Erigeron breweri is treated as a member of E. sect. Linearifolii in G. L. Nesom (1992b), where all of the varieties are mapped in detail.

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

Key
1. Phyllaries glabrous or sparsely hairy, densely glandular
→ 2
1. Phyllaries strigoso- to hispido-hirsute, sometimes slightly glandular
→ 3
2. Plants usually 12–40 or 30–60 cm; stems ascending-erect; leaves usually 15–35 mm
var. breweri
2. Plants 7–15 cm; stems prostrate to procumbent or decumbent; leaves 5–12 mm
var. jacinteus
3. Plants 20–30 cm; stems often wiry and brittle; phyllaries hispido-hirsute (hairs translucent, spreading, stiff, relatively thick-based), glandular
var. porphyreticus
3. Plants (30–)40–75 cm; stems not wiry or brittle; phyllaries strigoso- or hispido-hirsute (hairs ascending to ascending-appressed, white), eglandular
→ 4
4. Phyllaries strigoso-hirsute (hairs relatively thin-based, ascending-appressed, gradually and slightly reduced in density from outer to inner phyllaries), eglandular
var. bisanctus
4. Phyllaries hispido-hirsute (hairs relatively thick-based, ascending, dense on outermost phyllaries, much less so on mid and inner), eglandular
var. covillei
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 316. FNA vol. 20, p. 318.
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. bellidiastrum, E. bigelovii, E. biolettii, E. blochmaniae, E. bloomeri, 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. 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. breweri var. bisanctus, E. breweri var. breweri, E. breweri var. covillei, E. breweri var. jacinteus, E. breweri var. porphyreticus
Synonyms Aster elmeri, E. breweri var. elmeri
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 6: 541. (1866) (Greene) Greene: Fl. Francisc., 393. (1897)
Web links