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

Engelmann's fleabane

Elmer's erigeron, Elmer's fleabane

Habit Perennials, 3–20(–30) cm; taprooted, caudex branches relatively short and thick. Perennials, 6–20 cm; apparently taprooted (often not evident or not collected), rhizomes relatively slender, woody fibrous-rooted or rhizomelike caudex branches.
Stems

erect, loosely to closely, sparsely to moderately strigose (hairs 0.1–0.9 mm), usually minutely glandular (glands barely evident), sometimes eglandular.

prostrate to decumbent-trailing, less commonly ascending-erect (without axillary leaf tufts), sparsely to moderately strigose, eglandular.

Leaves

basal (usually persistent) and cauline (petioles prominently ciliate at least on proximal portions, hairs spreading, thick-based);

basal blades linear-oblanceolate, 20–100 × 1–4 mm, margins entire, faces strigose, eglandular;

cauline usually restricted to proximal 1/2 of stems, slightly reduced distally.

cauline;

blades narrowly lanceolate to oblong, 5–20 × 1–2 mm, relatively even-sized, margins entire, faces strigose, eglandular.

Involucres

3.5–5(–6) × 7–12 mm.

3.5–5 × 7–10 mm.

Ray florets

(35–)45–100;

corollas white, sometimes pink or bluish, 5–10 mm, laminae (0.8–1.1 mm wide) primarily reflexing, sometimes also weakly coiling at the tips.

12–21;

corollas white, drying bluish, 5–6 mm, laminae coiling.

Disc corollas

(2.5–)2.7–4.2 mm (throats indurate and inflated, densely puberulent).

3.5–4 mm (throats slightly indurate, not inflated).

Phyllaries

in 2–3(–4) series, coarsely hirsuto-villous, sparsely to moderately minutely glandular.

in 3–5 series (often purple-tipped; margins of inner narrowly scarious), glabrous, minutely glandular.

Heads

1(–3).

1 or 2–3.

Cypselae

1.4–1.8 mm (oblong), 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer usually of narrow scales, sometimes 0 or of setae, inner of 12–20 bristles.

1.6–2.5 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 18–26 bristles.

Erigeron engelmannii

Erigeron elmeri

Phenology Flowering (Apr–)May–Jul. Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat Dry, sandy or rocky sites, prairies, often with sagebrush, rabbitbrush, juniper, pinyon-juniper, salt desert shrub Ledges, crevices, cracks, talus
Elevation 1300–2500 m (4300–8200 ft) 1300–3300 m (4300–10800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; ID; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Plants from Chaffee and Fremont counties, Colorado, have strigose leaves and the compact habit of Erigeron engelmannii but sparsely spreading-hirsute stems; they may be intermediate between E. engelmannii and E. concinnus. Unusual variation in the pappi of E. engelmannii also suggests that the species needs study and better definition.

A. Cronquist observed that “Erigeron engelmannii intergrades completely with E. pumilus, yet has two geographic subspecies of its own, and shows no distributional similarity to the [taxa] of E. pumilus,” and that E. engelmannii is “smaller and more delicate, with shorter finer hairs, and [has] smaller heads with usually fewer ligules.”

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 290. FNA vol. 20, p. 318.
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. 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. 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. 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
Synonyms Aster elmeri, E. breweri var. elmeri
Name authority A. Nelson: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 26: 247. (1899) (Greene) Greene: Fl. Francisc., 393. (1897)
Web links