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

Erigeron flettii

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

Habit Perennials, 20–70(–90) cm; taprooted, woody. Perennials 5–15 cm; rhizomatous, fibrous-rooted, caudex or rhizome branches relatively short and thick.
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.

basally ascending, sparsely villous to pilose, minutely glandular.

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.

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.

Involucres

4.5–6.5 × 7–12 mm.

6–8 × 10–15 mm.

Ray florets

25–40;

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

Ray (pistillate) florets

0.

Disc corollas

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

3.5–4.5 mm.

Phyllaries

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

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.

Heads

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

1.

Cypselae

2–3 mm, 2-nerved, faces glabrous;

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

2–2.8 mm, 2-nerved, faces strigose;

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

Erigeron inornatus

Erigeron flettii

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Ledges, crevices, ridges, rocky slopes, meadows, alpine or near timberline
Elevation (1500–)1800–3200 m ((4900–)5900–10500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

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

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.)

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. 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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
E. inornatus var. calidipetris, E. inornatus var. inornatus, E. inornatus var. keilii
Synonyms E. foliosus var. inornatus
Name authority (A. Gray) A. Gray: Notes Compositae, 88. (1880) G. N. Jones: Bot. Surv. Olympic Penins., 244. (1936)
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