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

Peck's threadleaf fleabane, thread-leaf daisy, thread-leaf fleabane

Erigeron flettii

Flett's fleabane, Olympic Mountain fleabane, Olympic Mountains fleabane, Olympic Mt. Fleabane

Habit Perennials, 10–30(–50) cm; taprooted, caudices multicipital, often with relatively short and thin, stemlike, lignescent branches. Perennials 5–15 cm; rhizomatous, fibrous-rooted, caudex or rhizome branches relatively short and thick.
Stems

erect, sparsely to densely strigose (hairs loosely appressed to ascending, fine), densely white-strigose at least proximally, eglandular.

basally ascending, sparsely villous to pilose, minutely glandular.

Leaves

basal (usually persistent, not clustered as rosettes) and cauline;

basal blades linear to filiform, 10–80 × 0.5–2.5(–3.5) mm;

cauline gradually or little reduced distally, margins entire, faces sparsely to moderately strigose, eglandular.

mostly basal (persistent; petioles equaling or longer than blades);

blades spatulate to oblanceolate-spatulate, 10–50 × 4–12 mm, cauline abruptly reduced distally, margins entire (apices rounded), faces sparsely hirsute or glabrous, eglandular.

Involucres

4–7 × 5–-18 mm.

6–8 × 10–15 mm.

Ray florets

(15–)20–125;

corollas usually blue, sometimes white, pink, or pale lavender, 3–13 mm, laminae coiling.

25–40;

corollas white, 7–10 mm (mostly 1–2 mm wide), laminae coiling tardily.

Disc corollas

2.5–5.5 mm.

3.5–4.5 mm.

Phyllaries

in (2–)3–4 series, loosely strigose to hirsute or nearly villous, densely to sparsely minutely glandular.

in 2–3(–4) series (purplish throughout or at margins and tips), hirsute to hirsuto-villous (hair cross walls clear or reddish to reddish purple), minutely glandular.

Heads

1–5(–10+) from distal branches, tending to be in corymbiform arrays.

1.

Cypselae

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

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

2–2.8 mm, 2-nerved, faces strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 15–20 bristles.

2n

= 18.

Erigeron filifolius

Erigeron flettii

Phenology Flowering May–Aug. Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Dry, rocky or sandy soil, lava beds, bitterbrush, sagebrush, juniper, ponderosa pine Ledges, crevices, ridges, rocky slopes, meadows, alpine or near timberline
Elevation 400–2400 m (1300–7900 ft) (1500–)1800–3200 m ((4900–)5900–10500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The densely white-strigose stem bases, linear-filiform leaves relatively unreduced distally, and relatively few heads with coiling, usually blue rays are distinctive for Erigeron filifolius. Proximal leaves are not clustered as a basal rosette; they are inserted on closely spaced nodes that are slightly more separated distally. Plants identified as var. robustior (with more ray florets, fewer heads, and thicker stems, centered in Oregon and Washington) intergrade with the typical form and apparently are separated arbitrarily.

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

Erigeron flettii differs from E. grandiflorus in having fewer, wider, consistently white rays, broadly spatulate basal leaves with bases constricted into narrow petioles longer than the blades and apices rounded or obtuse, less dense involucral vestiture, and strongly barbellate pappus bristles. It is known only from the Olympic Mountains.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 298. FNA vol. 20, p. 323.
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. eximius, 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. 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 Diplopappus filifolius, E. filifolius var. robustior
Name authority (Hooker) Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 308. (1840) G. N. Jones: Bot. Surv. Olympic Penins., 244. (1936)
Web links