Erigeron caespitosus |
Erigeron multiceps |
|
---|---|---|
tuft daisy, tuft fleabane |
Kern River daisy, Kern River fleabane |
|
Habit | Perennials, 5–25(–30) cm; taprooted, caudices relatively thick, usually branched. | Perennials, short-lived, 12–20 cm; taprooted, caudices simple or branched. |
Stems | decumbent-ascending (greenish proximally), usually densely hirsute to hirtellous (hairs spreading to deflexed, gradually attenuate, basal cells erect), sometimes strigose (in Saskatchewan and Yukon), eglandular. |
(single or multiple from bases) decumbent-ascending (branched from midstems), strigose (hairs fine, ascending-appressed), eglandular. |
Leaves | basal (persistent) and cauline; basal blades (1–)3-nerved, narrowly oblanceolate to spatulate, (10–)20–90(–120) × 2–15 mm, margins entire (apices rounded to obtuse), faces densely hirtellous, eglandular; cauline blades oblong-ovate to linear, ± reduced distally. |
mostly basal (persistent); blades spatulate to oblanceolate, 10–30 × 2–6 mm, cauline reduced distally, linear, margins entire, strigose, eglandular. |
Involucres | 4–7 × 9–18 mm. |
3.5–4 × 6–7 mm. |
Ray florets | 30–100; corollas white to bluish, 5–15 mm, laminae coiling. |
75–125; corollas white to purplish 5–8 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing. |
Disc corollas | 3–4.4 mm. |
1.8–2.2 mm (throats white-indurate and somewhat inflated). |
Phyllaries | in 3–4 series, densely hirsuto-canescent to hirtellous (hairs spreading), moderately minutely glandular. |
in 3–4 series, sparsely hispid, minutely glandular. |
Heads | 1–4 (branches from distal 1/2 of stem). |
1(–3 on proximal branches). |
Cypselae | 1.7–2.2 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of setae or scales, inner of 15–25 bristles. |
0.7–0.9 mm, 2-nerved, sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of setae, inner of 5–8 bristles. |
2n | = 18, 36. |
|
Erigeron caespitosus |
Erigeron multiceps |
|
Phenology | Flowering Jun–Aug. | Flowering Jun–Aug. |
Habitat | Rocky or sandy, grassy hills, sagebrush-aspen, pinyon-juniper, to spruce and tundra northward | Dry, open meadows and meadow edges near mixed conifer and aspen stands, sometimes in disturbed sites such as logging roads, sandy creek banks, annual drainages, and washes |
Elevation | 1300–3000(–3600) m (4300–9800(–11800) ft) | 1500–2500 m (4900–8200 ft) |
Distribution |
AK; AZ; CO; ID; MT; ND; NE; NM; SD; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; MB; SK; YT
|
CA; NV; Mexico (Baja California) |
Discussion | Erigeron caespitosus as recognized here is highly variable and perhaps justifiably could be divided into more than one taxon. Plants at lower elevations tend to produce tall stems branching above the middle and long, white rays. At higher elevations, especially in Idaho, western Montana, Utah, and Wyoming, stems tend to be shorter and simple and the rays commonly are blue to violet. In the Bitterroot Mountains (Ravalli and Deerlodge counties, Montana), short-stemmed, blue-rayed plants also have strigose cauline vestiture (in contrast to typically deflexed-hirtellous stems); these vestiture variants occur in the same area with plants apparently similar in all other features. Strigose populational variants also occur in Saskatchewan and Yukon, and E. abajoensis, largely distinguished by strigose cauline vestiture, might be considered a regional variant of E. caespitosus. In eastern Idaho and southwestern Montana, plants of E. caespitosus are commonly encountered with cauline leaves obovate and distinctly subclasping. Plants with strongly 3-nerved basal leaves occur in Carbon and Gallatin counties, Montana. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Of conservation concern. Although Erigeron multiceps has been considered to be indistinct or doubtfully distinct from E. divergens (see G. L. Nesom 1993f), California botanists with field experience note that the two taxa can be distinguished when occuring in close proximity. Plants of the type collection and some others have thick taproots and thickened caudex branches, unlike closely related species. Plants from Clark County, Nevada (Red Rock Canyon Recreation Area, Leary 4031, UNLV) have taproots with simple caudices, decumbent-ascending, strigose stems, and persistent basal leaves; they are technically, at least, identified as E. multiceps. The disjunct Mexican plants are closely similar to those in California. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 20, p. 283. | FNA vol. 20, p. 342. |
Parent taxa | Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Erigeron | Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Erigeron |
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 307. (1840) | Greene: Pittonia 2: 167. (1891) |
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