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glacier fleabane, subalpine fleabane, wandering fleabane

alpine yellow fleabane, golden daisy, golden fleabane

Habit Perennials, 5–55(–70) cm; rhizomatous, fibrous-rooted, caudices usually simple, thick. Perennials, 1–15 cm; fibrous-rooted, caudices usually simple, rarely branched.
Stems

erect to ascending, hirsute or hirsuto-villous to densely strigillose (hairs loosely appressed, slightly crinkled), eglandular.

erect to basally ascending, villoso-hirsute to ascending-strigose, minutely and inconspicuously glandular.

Leaves

basal (usually persistent) and cauline;

basal blades linear-oblanceolate to broadly lanceolate or spatulate, (20–)30–160(–200) × 7–45 mm;

cauline gradually reduced distally (bases distinctly subclasping, except when greatly reduced), margins entire, faces glabrous or glabrate, hirsute, or villous to sparsely villosulous, eglandular.

basal (persistent) and cauline;

blades spatulate to oblanceolate-spatulate, 15–60 × 3–13 mm, cauline reduced distally, becoming bractlike, margins entire, faces finely hirsuto-villous to loosely strigose, eglandular.

Involucres

6–9(–12) × 10–22(–25) mm.

(5–)6–8 × 8–15 mm.

Ray florets

30–80;

corollas usually blue to rose purple or pink, sometimes white to pale blue, 8–16(–25) mm (mostly 1.5–3 mm wide), laminae coiling.

30–50(–68);

corollas yellow, 6–9(–10) mm, laminae tardily coiling.

Disc corollas

3.8–6 mm.

3–3.8 mm.

Phyllaries

in 2–3(–4) series (faces and margins) usually glabrous, rarely sparsely villous (cross walls not colored), densely and evenly stipitate-glandular.

in 2–3 series (purple), sparsely to densely woolly-villous (at least margins), sparsely minutely glandular.

Heads

1(–8).

1.

Cypselae

2.5–2.8 mm, (4–)5(–7)-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

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

1.6–2 mm, 2-nerved, faces loosely strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 14–25 bristles.

2n

= 18.

Erigeron glacialis

Erigeron aureus

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug(–Sep).
Habitat Ridges, crevices, talus and other rocky slopes, alpine tundra
Elevation (1500–)1600–2700 m ((4900–)5200–8900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
WA; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Erigeron aureus var. acutifolius has leaves apically acute (versus rounded to broadly obtuse, sometimes emarginate, in the typical form) and is known only from the type locality, a peat bog in British Columbia (Peace River District). It was not listed or otherwise recognized in a recent flora of that province (G. W. Douglas et al. 1998–2002, vol. 1).

Erigeron ×arthurii B. Boivin was described as “sp. nov.” and was noted to have originated as a hybrid between E. acris and E. aureus. It was treated by E. H. Moss and J. G. Packer (1983) as a hybrid. Specimens cited by Boivin are from widely separated localities in southwestern British Columbia and adjacent Alberta. It was included at specific rank in the treatment by A. C. Budd et al. (1987) but not by H. J. Scoggan (1978–1979, part 4) or G. W. Douglas et al. (1998–2002, vol. 1).

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

Key
1. Peduncles densely strigillose with loosely appressed, slightly crinkled hairs; leaf faces glabrous or villous
var. glacialis
1. Peduncles hirsute to hirsuto-villous; leaf faces hirsute to hirsuto-villous
var. hirsutus
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 329. 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. filifolius, E. flabellifolius, E. flagellaris, E. flettii, E. foliosus, E. formosissimus, E. garrettii, E. geiseri, E. glabellus, 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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
E. glacialis var. glacialis, E. glacialis var. hirsutus
Synonyms Aster glacialis, E. salsuginosus var. glacialis Haplopappus brandegeei, E. aureus var. acutifolius
Name authority (Nuttall) A. Nelson: Bot. Gaz. 37: 270. (1904) Greene: Pittonia 2: 1691891
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