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dwarf yellow fleabane

bald-fruit fleabane, changing fleabane

Habit Perennials, 3–15 cm; taprooted, caudices branched. Annuals or rarely short-lived perennials, 12–50(–80) cm; taprooted or rarely fibrous-rooted.
Stems

erect (bracteate), evenly hispidulous to hirsute, usually minutely glandular.

(single or multiple from bases) usually basally ascending, strigose to villous, often slightly and minutely stipitate-glandular near to heads.

Leaves

mostly basal (in tufts, persistent) (petioles prominently ciliate, hairs spreading, thick-based);

blades linear to linear-oblanceolate, 40–70(–90) × 1–3 mm, cauline reduced to bracts (bases relatively thin, not sheathing), margins entire, coarsely ciliate, faces hispidulous to loosely strigose.

basal (usually not persistent) and cauline;

blades narrowly lanceolate to oblanceolate, basal (5–)20–50 × 3–9 mm, cauline gradually reduced distally, margins entire or proximal shallowly crenate to serrate with 1–3 pairs of teeth, faces sparsely strigose, eglandular.

Involucres

(3.5–)4.5–7.5 × 9–17 mm.

2.5–4 × (3–)5–9 mm.

Ray florets

60–110;

corollas white, 2.5–5(–7) mm, laminae not reflexing or coiling.

Ray (pistillate) florets

20–60;

corollas tubular, lacking laminae, or laminae yellow (sometimes fading on drying and appearing whitish or creamy), 2–10 mm, not coiling or reflexing.

Disc corollas

4–4.5 mm (throats tubular).

1.2–2 mm (throats slightly indurate and inflated).

Phyllaries

in 2–3 series, sparsely hispid, minutely glandular.

in 2–3 series (margins scarious at least in inner), sparsely hirsute, minutely glandular.

Heads

1.

(1–)5–ca. 100.

Cypselae

2–2.5 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose (carpopodia yellowish);

pappi: outer of inconspicuous setae, inner of 15–25 bristles.

(0.5–)0.8–1.3 mm, 2-nerved, faces glabrous or sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of minute, blunt scales or fimbriate crowns (to 0.15 mm), inner 0.

2n

= 18, 27, 36.

Erigeron chrysopsidis

Erigeron versicolor

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun(–Oct).
Habitat Scattered and local, open sites, usually in moist soil, edges of low or marshy areas, stream edges, ditches
Elevation 100–400 m (2600–2900 m, Ariz.) (300–1300 ft (8500–9500 ft, Ariz.))
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

Intermediates between var. austiniae and var. chrysopsidis are formed in Oregon and Idaho, where their ranges overlap.

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

In Arizona, Erigeron versicolor grows in meadows, along creeks, and in pine-aspen-spruce areas.

Erigeron versicolor is distinguished by its annual duration, nodding buds, conic receptacles, broad phyllaries, and pappi of only minute crowns. The species appears to be disjunctly divided among three regions in the United States and Mexico (D. C. D. De Jong and G. L. Nesom 1996), and habitats vary widely. This is an unusual distribution. There is much variation in duration, root type, orientation of stem pubescence, elaboration of the pappus crown, and achene vestiture, and this morphologic variation does not appear to be strongly correlated with geography.

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

Key
1. Ray (pistillate) laminae absent or not surpassing involucres; involucres 4.5–6 mm; stems hirsuto-villous
var. austiniae
1. Ray laminae well developed (surpassing involucres); involucres 3.5–7.5 mm; stems hirsuto-villous or strigose
→ 2
2. Involucres 3.5–5.5 mm; ray corolla laminae 4–7 mm; stems strigose to hirsuto-villous
var. brevifolius
2. Involucres 5–6.5(–7.5) mm; ray corolla laminae (6–)8–11 mm; stems hirsuto-villous
var. chrysopsidis
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 287. FNA vol. 20, p. 344.
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. canus, E. cascadensis, E. cavernensis, E. cervinus, 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. vernus, E. vetensis, E. vicinus, E. vreelandii, E. watsonii, E. wilkenii, E. yukonensis
Subordinate taxa
E. chrysopsidis var. austiniae, E. chrysopsidis var. brevifolius, E. chrysopsidis var. chrysopsidis
Synonyms Chrysopsis hirtella Achaetogeron versicolor, Achaetogeron chihuahuensis, E. geiseri var. calcicola, E. gilensis, E. mimegletes
Name authority A. Gray: in A. Gray et al., Syn. Fl. N. Amer. 1(2): 210. (1884) (Greenman) G. L. Nesom: Sida 9: 225. (1982)
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