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California rayless daisy, California rayless fleabane, lava rayless fleabane, rayless fleabane, unadorned fleabane, western rayless fleabane

abajo fleabane

Habit Perennials, 20–70(–90) cm; taprooted, woody. Perennials, (5–)10–25(–30) cm; taprooted, caudices simple or branched.
Stems

basally decumbent, abruptly erect, usually glabrous or glabrate, rarely sparsely strigose on proximal 1/2, or hirsutulous proximally and strigose distally, or distally densely hirsutulous (hairs usually ± deflexed, sometimes loosely antrorsely ascending; var. keilii), eglandular.

ascending to decumbent or nearly prostrate, sparsely strigose to glabrate, eglandular.

Leaves

cauline;

blades narrowly oblong-oblanceolate to linear, 20–60 × 2–7 mm, seldom reduced distally, margins entire, faces glabrous, sparsely strigose, or hispid, eglandular.

basal (persistent, old leaf bases persistent, chaffy, fibrous) and cauline;

basal blades linear to narrowly linear-oblanceolate, 50–150 × 1–2(–3) mm;

cauline gradually or abruptly reduced distally, margins entire, faces glabrate to sparsely strigose, eglandular.

Involucres

4.5–6.5 × 7–12 mm.

5–7 × 10–13 mm.

Ray florets

15–22;

corollas white to purplish, 3.5–6 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing.

Ray (pistillate) florets

0.

Disc corollas

3.8–4.5 mm (throats slightly indurate, not inflated).

3.5–5 mm.

Phyllaries

in 3–5 series (margins broad, stramineous, midveins orange, thin), glabrous, usually eglandular, rarely minutely glandular.

in 2–3(–4) series, hirsute, minutely glandular.

Heads

(discoid) (1–)2–15 in corymbiform arrays.

1(–3).

Cypselae

2–3 mm, 2-nerved, faces glabrous;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 28–45 bristles.

1.8–2.2 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of ca. 20 bristles.

Erigeron inornatus

Erigeron canaani

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun(–Jul).
Habitat Crevices of sandstone cliffs and in sandy soil, ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, maple, Douglas fir, mixed conifers
Elevation 1600–2600 m (5200–8500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
UT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

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

Erigeron higginsii may prove to be a distinct entity. It was described as differing from E. canaani in having smaller involucres (4.5–5.5 × 7.5–11 mm) with fewer rays (7–12); it occurs at 2900–3120 m in the Pine Valley Mountains of southwestern Utah.

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

Key
1. Distal stems densely hirsutulous (hairs slightly deflexed, sometimes densely ascending-strigose)
var. keilii
1. Distal stems usually sparsely strigose or glabrous
→ 2
2. Stems 10–20 cm, decumbent-ascending, hirsutulous (hairs spreading-deflexed) in proximal 1/2; proximal and mid leaf margins with stiff, spreading cilia, faces hispid; involucres 5–6.5 mm
var. calidipetris
2. Stems 30–70(–90) cm, basally ascending, distally erect, strigose in proximal 1/2; proximal and mid leaf margins eciliate, faces strigose; involucres 4.5–5.5 mm
var. inornatus
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 314. FNA vol. 20, p. 282.
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. glacialis, E. glaucus, E. goodrichii, E. gracilis, E. grandiflorus, E. greenei, E. heliographis, E. hessii, E. howellii, E. humilis, E. hyperboreus, E. hyssopifolius, 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. 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. inornatus var. calidipetris, E. inornatus var. inornatus, E. inornatus var. keilii
Synonyms E. foliosus var. inornatus E. higginsii
Name authority (A. Gray) A. Gray: Notes Compositae, 88. (1880) S. L. Welsh: Great Basin Naturalist 43: 366. (1983)
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