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Erigeron flettii

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

scepter-bearing fleabane

Habit Perennials 5–15 cm; rhizomatous, fibrous-rooted, caudex or rhizome branches relatively short and thick. Annuals, 3–8 cm; taprooted.
Stems

basally ascending, sparsely villous to pilose, minutely glandular.

(single or multiple) ascending from bases, moderately hirsuto-hirtellous (hairs spreading-ascending, mostly on ribs, bases thickened), minutely glandular.

Leaves

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.

mostly cauline;

blades linear to linear-oblanceolate, 10–30 × 0.5–1.5 mm (proximal rarely 4 mm wide), margins entire or proximalmost with 1–2 pairs of teeth, faces loosely ascending-strigose, minutely glandular.

Involucres

6–8 × 10–15 mm.

3–3.5 × 4–6 mm.

Ray florets

25–40;

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

(60–)85–130(–195);

corollas white, drying purple, less often pink to bluish, 3.8–5 mm, laminae downward curving-reflexing.

Disc corollas

3.5–4.5 mm.

1.8–2.3 mm (throats indurate and inflated).

Phyllaries

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.

in 3–4 series, sparsely hirsuto-strigose, minutely glandular.

Heads

1.

20–50+ in loosely corymbiform arrays (buds erect).

Cypselae

2–2.8 mm, 2-nerved, faces strigose;

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

0.6–0.7 mm, 2-nerved (nerves orange), faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer 0 or scales or setae, inner of 9–14 bristles.

Erigeron flettii

Erigeron sceptrifer

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Jul–Oct.
Habitat Ledges, crevices, ridges, rocky slopes, meadows, alpine or near timberline Grasslands with scattered juniper, oak, or oak-pine
Elevation (1500–)1800–3200 m ((4900–)5900–10500 ft) 1300–2100 m (4300–6900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Of conservation concern.

Erigeron sceptrifer is similar in habit to E. divergens; it has stem hairs only along the ribs, erect (versus nodding) buds, pappi of more bristles, without a conspicuous outer series, reflexing ray laminae, and orange cypselar nerves.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 323. FNA vol. 20, p. 337.
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. 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
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. 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
Name authority G. N. Jones: Bot. Surv. Olympic Penins., 244. (1936) G. L. Nesom: Phytologia 69: 248. (1990)
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