Erigeron eximius |
Erigeron divergens |
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spruce-fir fleabane |
branching fleabane diffuse daisy, diffuse daisy, diffuse fleabane, spreading fleabane |
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Habit | Perennials, 15–60 cm; rhizomatous, fibrous-rooted, caudices or primary rhizomes slender, simple or branched, usually producing slender, herbaceous, scale-leaved stolons bearing terminal leaf tufts. | Annuals or short-lived perennials, (7–)12–40(–70) cm; taprooted, caudices simple if perennial. |
Stems | erect to ascending, usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely hirsuto-pilose proximal to heads, densely minutely glandular to nearly eglandular. |
(single or multiple from bases) erect to ascending, densely and evenly puberulous-hirsutulous (hairs spreading to spreading-descending or -ascending, often crinkly, bases not thickened), minutely glandular at least distally, usually throughout. |
Leaves | basal (persistent) and cauline; basal blades spatulate to elliptic-spatulate (to oblanceolate-obovate), 30–150 × 9–35 mm; cauline gradually reduced distally (bases usually clasping to subclasping), margins entire or serrulate to mucronulate with 3–5 pairs of teeth, faces glabrous, distal often glandular. |
basal (usually deciduous) and cauline; basal blades obovate-spatulate, 10–70 × 4–-14 mm; cauline gradually reduced distally, margins entire or with 2–3 pairs of teeth or lobes, faces hirsute to loosely strigoso-hirsute, sometimes sparsely glandular. |
Involucres | 7–9 × 11–19 mm. |
3–4 × (5–)7–11 mm. |
Ray florets | 40–80; corollas white to bluish or lavender, 12–20 mm, laminae coiling. |
75–150; corollas white, drying lilac, without abaxial midstripe, (2–)4–9.5 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing (remaining relatively straight). |
Disc corollas | (3.6–)4–5.8 mm. |
1.8–2.3 mm (throats indurate and slightly inflated). |
Phyllaries | in 3–4 series (often purplish), usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely villous at bases, minutely glandular. |
in 3–4 series, hirsute, minutely glandular. |
Heads | 1–5(–15). |
(in early season, 1–)5–100+ (buds nodding). |
Cypselae | 1.8–2.5 mm, 2(–4)-nerved, faces sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of setae, inner of 20–30 bristles. |
0.9–1.2 mm, 2-nerved (nerves whitish), faces sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of setae or scales, inner of 6–9(–12) bristles. |
2n | = 18, 36. |
= 18, 27, 36. |
Erigeron eximius |
Erigeron divergens |
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Phenology | Flowering Jul–Oct. | Flowering (Feb–)Apr–Oct. |
Habitat | Margins or openings, pine, aspen, spruce-fir, subalpine meadows | Gravelly or sandy flats, riverbanks, meadows, disturbed sites, desert scrubland to grasslands, saltbush, blackbrush, sagebrush, pinyon-juniper, juniper-oak, oak, and ponderosa pine woodlands |
Elevation | 2300–3500 m (7500–11500 ft) | 60–2000(–2700) m (200–6600(–8900) ft) |
Distribution |
AZ; CO; NM; TX; UT; WY
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AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; ND; NE; NM; NV; OK; OR; SD; TX; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Sonora, and southward)
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Discussion | Erigeron eximius apparently sometimes forms intermediates with E. formosissimus. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Polyploidy and agamospermy apparently are common in Erigeron divergens and contribute to the variability and, probably to some extent, the polymorphism characteristic of this species. Diploids appear to be scattered through the range of the species, at least in its southern part. The form of Erigeron divergens with persistent, deeply pinnatifid basal leaves with relatively long petioles and tendency toward perenniality (woody taproots) has been named E. accedens [occurs at 200–1000(–1200) m and flowers Feb–Apr(–May)]. Such plants have sometimes been identified as E. lobatus, and it is possible that they may have originated as hybrids with it; in most ways they are similar to E. divergens and apparently intergrade with it. The E. accedens form occurs in California, Arizona, New Mexico, southwest Texas, Baja California, northern Sonora, Durango, and Chihuahua, apparently sympatrically with more typical E. divergens, suggesting that the former is stabilized and self-reproductive (probably agamospermic). Available chromosome counts are triploid. Rare plants (e.g., E. incomptus) may have filiform rays barely extending past the involucre. Another common form of Erigeron divergens in the broad sense (mostly in Chihuahua, also southern Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona) has bowl-shaped plants with decumbent stems, a discrete taproot, persistent, lobed basal leaves, and solitary heads topping usually simple stems, and usually is early-season in phenology. Further comments related to variation in E. divergens are found under 163. Erigeron multiceps. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 20, p. 333. | FNA vol. 20, p. 339. |
Parent taxa | Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Erigeron | Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Erigeron |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | E. superbus | E. divaricatus, E. accedens, E. incomptus, E. solisaltator |
Name authority | Greene: Pittonia 3: 295. (1898) | Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 2: 175. (1841) |
Web links |