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

hairy fleabane, poor robin fleabane, robin's plantain, robin's plantain fleabane

Habit Perennials, 20–70(–90) cm; taprooted, woody. Perennials, 15–60 cm; rhizomatous, fibrous-rooted, primary rhizomes relatively slender, producing slender, herbaceous, scale-leaved, stoloniform rhizomes (rhizomes often not collected).
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.

erect to ascending (usually abruptly dilated proximal to heads), villous (more densely so on proximal 1/2), 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) and cauline;

basal blades oblanceolate to obovate or suborbiculate, subspatulate, 20–130(–180) × 6–30(–50) mm;

cauline gradually reduced distally (bases clasping and slightly auriculate), margins usually dentate to denticulate, rarely entire, faces sparsely to moderately hirsute to hirsuto-villous, sometimes glabrate or glabrous (especially adaxially), eglandular.

Involucres

4.5–6.5 × 7–12 mm.

5–7 × 6–20 mm.

Ray florets

50–80(–100);

corollas light blue to purplish, pink, or white, 6–10 mm, laminae coiling tardily at tips.

Ray (pistillate) florets

0.

Disc corollas

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

4.5–6 mm.

Phyllaries

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

in 2–3(–4) series, sparsely to moderately hirsute to hirsuto-villous (cross walls not distinctly colored), minutely glandular to stipitate-glandular.

Heads

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

1–4(–9).

Cypselae

2–3 mm, 2-nerved, faces glabrous;

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

1.3–1.8 mm, 2(–4)-nerved, faces sparsely strigose to glabrate or glabrous;

pappi: outer 0 or of setae, inner of (22–)28–36 bristles.

Erigeron inornatus

Erigeron pulchellus

Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; ON; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

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

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

(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
1. Stems and leaves glabrous
var. brauniae
1. Stems and leaves hirsute to hirsuto-villous
→ 2
2. Rays blue to pinkish; disc corollas 4.5–6 mm; cypselae glabrous or glabrate
var. pulchellus
2. Rays white; disc corollas 4–4.5 mm; cypselae strigose
var. tolsteadii
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 314. FNA vol. 20, p. 327.
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. 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. 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
E. pulchellus var. brauniae, E. pulchellus var. pulchellus, E. pulchellus var. tolsteadii
Synonyms E. foliosus var. inornatus
Name authority (A. Gray) A. Gray: Notes Compositae, 88. (1880) Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 124. (1803)
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