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hoary fleabane

early white-top fleabane

Habit Perennials, 5–35 cm; taprooted, caudex branches relatively thick, usually retaining old leaf bases. Biennials or short-lived perennials, 15–50 cm; rhizomatous, fibrous-rooted, caudices relatively thick and short, or elongate rhizomes, or appearing simple, sometimes producing rosulate offsets.
Stems

erect, densely white strigoso-canescent, eglandular.

erect, sparsely strigose to strigoso-hirsute or villous, eglandular.

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);

blades narrowly to broadly oblanceolate to spatulate, 20–100(–150) × 4–25 mm (usually ± fleshy-thickened), margins entire or denticulate to mucronulate, faces glabrate eglandular;

cauline mostly bractlike.

Involucres

5–7 × 9–16 mm.

3–4 × 5–11 mm.

Ray florets

20–50(–70);

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

25–40;

corollas white, 4–8 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing.

Disc corollas

3.7–5.6 mm.

2.5–3.8 mm.

Phyllaries

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

in 2–3(–4) series, usually sparsely hirsute to strigose, sometimes glabrous, eglandular, sometimes viscid.

Heads

1(–4).

(1–)4–20(–25) in corymbiform arrays (from branches near apices).

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.

subterete, 1.2–1.6 mm, 4-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 16–25 bristles.

2n

= 18.

= 18.

Erigeron canus

Erigeron vernus

Phenology Flowering May–Jul(–Aug). Flowering (Mar–)Apr–Aug(–Oct).
Habitat Dry hills, grasslands, often in gravelly or shaley soil, sagebrush, pinyon-juniper, pine-oak, oak Moist to wet sites in sand or sandy clay or sandy peat, pine or pine-palmetto flatwoods and savannas, interdunal swales, road banks, ditches
Elevation 1700–2700 m (5600–8900 ft) 0–50 m (0–200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; KS; NE; NM; OK; SD; UT; WY; Mexico (Chihuahua)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; VA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 297. FNA vol. 20, p. 278.
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. 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. versicolor, E. vetensis, E. vicinus, E. vreelandii, E. watsonii, E. wilkenii, E. yukonensis
Synonyms E. phoenicodontus Aster vernus
Name authority A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 67. (1849) (Linnaeus) Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 2: 176. (1841)
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