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

hoary fleabane

black-head fleabane

Habit Perennials, 5–35 cm; taprooted, caudex branches relatively thick, usually retaining old leaf bases. Perennials, 3–12(–21 at lower elevations) cm; fibrous-rooted, rhizomatous, caudices decumbent, often branched, rhizomelike, sometimes taprootlike.
Stems

erect, densely white strigoso-canescent, eglandular.

erect, distally villous (hairs with black cross walls), minutely glandular near heads.

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.

mostly basal (persistent), some cauline;

blades spatulate to oblanceolate, (10–)20–50(–150) × 4–6(–15) mm, cauline linear, bractlike, margins entire (apices rounded to retuse), faces glabrous or sparsely hirsute, eglandular.

Involucres

5–7 × 9–16 mm.

6–9 × 10–14 mm.

Ray florets

20–50(–70);

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

45–74;

corollas white to purple, 7–11 mm (mostly 1–2 mm wide), laminae spreading, tardily coiling.

Disc corollas

3.7–5.6 mm.

2.4–3.2 mm.

Phyllaries

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

in 2(–3) series, sparsely villoso-sericeous (hairs flattened, cross walls black, imparting distinct black color to involucres), glandular.

Heads

1(–4).

1.

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.

(oblanceoloid-oblong) 2–2.3 mm, 2-nerved, faces strigoso-hirsute;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 15–30 bristles.

2n

= 18.

= 18.

Erigeron canus

Erigeron melanocephalus

Phenology Flowering May–Jul(–Aug). Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Dry hills, grasslands, often in gravelly or shaley soil, sagebrush, pinyon-juniper, pine-oak, oak Rocky slopes, talus, alpine and subalpine meadows, subalpine spruce-fir
Elevation 1700–2700 m (5600–8900 ft) 3100–4000 m (10200–13100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; KS; NE; NM; OK; SD; UT; WY; Mexico (Chihuahua)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; NM; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 297. FNA vol. 20, p. 323.
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. 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. 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
Synonyms E. phoenicodontus E. uniflorus var. melanocephalus
Name authority A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 67. (1849) (A. Nelson) A. Nelson: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 26: 246. (1899)
Web links