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spruce-fir fleabane

buff daisy, buff fleabane

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. Perennials, (2–)8–18(–20, 30) cm; taprooted, caudices usually simple, rarely branched, relatively thick, woody.
Stems

erect to ascending, usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely hirsuto-pilose proximal to heads, densely minutely glandular to nearly eglandular.

ascending (greenish), loosely strigose to puberulent-strigose, sometimes sparsely minutely glandular.

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 (persistent) and cauline (leaf bases broadened or not, not thickened and whitish-indurate);

basal blades linear to linear-oblanceolate, (20–)40–90(–120) × 1–4(–5) mm;

cauline reduced distally or often little reduced on at least proximal 1/2 of stems, (bases gradually tapering) margins entire (apices acute), abaxial faces glabrous at least on distal 1/4–1/2, strigose proximally, adaxial loosely strigose, eglandular.

Involucres

7–9 × 11–19 mm.

5.5–7 × 10–15(–18) mm.

Ray florets

40–80;

corollas white to bluish or lavender, 12–20 mm, laminae coiling.

30–62;

corollas white to pinkish, bluish, or lavender, (7–)8–12 mm, laminae coiling.

Disc corollas

(3.6–)4–5.8 mm.

2.8–3.6 mm.

Phyllaries

in 3–4 series (often purplish), usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely villous at bases, minutely glandular.

in 3–4 series, densely and loosely hirsuto-villous (hairs whitish, without colored cross walls), minutely glandular.

Heads

1–5(–15).

1(–3).

Cypselae

1.8–2.5 mm, 2(–4)-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 20–30 bristles.

2–2.6 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely villosulous (often hairs spreading);

pappi: outer of setae or scales, inner of 12–15 bristles.

2n

= 18, 36.

Erigeron eximius

Erigeron ochroleucus

Phenology Flowering Jul–Oct. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Margins or openings, pine, aspen, spruce-fir, subalpine meadows Rocky or sandy slopes, limestone outcrops, ridges, and talus, meadows, sagebrush-grassland, juniper-mountain mahogany, ponderosa pine, limber pine, limber pine–Douglas fir, alpine tundra
Elevation 2300–3500 m (7500–11500 ft) 1100–3000(–3300) m (3600–9800(–10800) ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; TX; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; MT; NE; SD; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Erigeron eximius apparently sometimes forms intermediates with E. formosissimus.

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

Plants recognized as var. scribneri are smaller but otherwise essentially similar to typical plants, except for a tendency to produce bluish rays. They occur mostly at higher elevations than more typical plants. P. Lesica (2005) maintained var. scribneri and mapped the two varietites as essentially congruent in geographic range.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 333. FNA vol. 20, p. 294.
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. engelmannii, E. evermannii, 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. 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. superbus E. laetevirens, E. montanus, E. ochroleucus var. scribneri, E. scribneri, E. tweedyanus
Name authority Greene: Pittonia 3: 295. (1898) Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 311. (1840)
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