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glacier fleabane, subalpine fleabane, wandering fleabane

Geiser's fleabane

Habit Perennials, 5–55(–70) cm; rhizomatous, fibrous-rooted, caudices usually simple, thick. Annuals, 5–40 cm; slenderly taprooted, caudices simple.
Stems

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

erect (herbaceous), sparsely spreading- to deflexed-villous proximally, sparsely strigose (hairs straight) distally, eglandular.

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 (usually not persistent) and cauline;

basal blades oblanceolate to subspatulate, 15–60 × 4–11 mm;

cauline gradually reduced distally (sometimes barely subclasping), margins entire or with 2–4 pairs of teeth or lobes, faces hirsute, eglandular.

Involucres

6–9(–12) × 10–22(–25) mm.

2.5–3.5 × 5–7 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.

44–70;

corollas white, drying white to pink, 3–6 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing.

Disc corollas

3.8–6 mm.

1.2–1.6 mm (throats slightly indurate and inflated).

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, sparsely hirsute, sometimes minutely glandular.

Heads

1(–8).

1–20 in diffuse arrays (branches from midstem distally, peduncles often dilated near heads).

Cypselae

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

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

0.7–0.9 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of scales, inner of 9–11 bristles.

Erigeron glacialis

Erigeron geiseri

Phenology Flowering late Mar–May(–Jun).
Habitat Sandy prairies, sandy loam, clay, fields, roadsides, fencerows
Elevation 10–200 m (0–700 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
OK; TX
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Erigeron geiseri is characterized by its annual duration and slender taproots, relatively small size, lobed basal leaves, peduncles often dilated near the heads, obovate phyllaries with broad, scarious margins, and relatively small disc florets and cypselae, the latter with pappi of conspicuous scales and relatively few bristles.

(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. 318.
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. 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. 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
Name authority (Nuttall) A. Nelson: Bot. Gaz. 37: 270. (1904) Shinners: Wrightia 1: 183. (1947)
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