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glacier fleabane, subalpine fleabane, wandering fleabane

scepter-bearing fleabane

Habit Perennials, 5–55(–70) cm; rhizomatous, fibrous-rooted, caudices usually simple, thick. Annuals, 3–8 cm; taprooted.
Stems

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

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

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

6–9(–12) × 10–22(–25) mm.

3–3.5 × 4–6 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.

(60–)85–130(–195);

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

Disc corollas

3.8–6 mm.

1.8–2.3 mm (throats 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 3–4 series, sparsely hirsuto-strigose, minutely glandular.

Heads

1(–8).

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

Cypselae

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

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 20–30 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 glacialis

Erigeron sceptrifer

Phenology Flowering Jul–Oct.
Habitat Grasslands with scattered juniper, oak, or oak-pine
Elevation 1300–2100 m (4300–6900 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
AZ; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

(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.)

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. 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. 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. 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
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) G. L. Nesom: Phytologia 69: 248. (1990)
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