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hoary fleabane

sand fleabane, western daisy fleabane, western fleabane

Habit Perennials, 5–35 cm; taprooted, caudex branches relatively thick, usually retaining old leaf bases. Annuals (or biennials?), 3.5–30(–50) cm; taprooted.
Stems

erect, densely white strigoso-canescent, eglandular.

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

Leaves

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

blades linear-oblanceolate to oblanceolate, 20–100 × 2–5(–7) mm, cauline sharply reduced or 0 (restricted to proximal 1/4–1/2), margins entire, faces densely white strigoso-canescent, eglandular.

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.

Involucres

5–7 × 9–16 mm.

3–5 × 5–7(–11) mm.

Ray florets

20–50(–70);

corollas white to light blue, 7–12 mm, laminae reflexing, sometimes tardily.

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.

Disc corollas

3.7–5.6 mm.

2.2–3 mm (throats indurate and inflated).

Phyllaries

in 3–4 series, densely hirsute to strigoso-hirsute, minutely glandular.

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

Heads

1(–4).

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

Cypselae

(nearly terete,) 2.8–3.5 mm, (8–)10–14-nerved, faces glabrous;

pappi: outer of setae or bristles, inner of 24–36 bristles.

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

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

2n

= 18.

Erigeron canus

Erigeron bellidiastrum

Phenology Flowering May–Jul(–Aug).
Habitat Dry hills, grasslands, often in gravelly or shaley soil, sagebrush, pinyon-juniper, pine-oak, oak
Elevation 1700–2700 m (5600–8900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; KS; NE; NM; OK; SD; UT; WY; Mexico (Chihuahua)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; KS; MT; NE; NM; OK; SD; TX; UT; WY; n Mexico
[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.)

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. 297. FNA vol. 20, p. 338.
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. breweri, E. caespitosus, E. calvus, E. canaani, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
E. bellidiastrum var. arenarius, E. bellidiastrum var. bellidiastrum, E. bellidiastrum var. robustus
Synonyms E. phoenicodontus
Name authority A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 67. (1849) Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 307. (1840)
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