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needle-leaf fleabane

Alberta fleabane, three-lobed daisy

Habit Perennials, 4–18 cm; taprooted, caudex branches relatively short, thick. Perennials, 3–8(–10) cm; taprooted, caudex branches rhizomelike, relatively thick to thin, woody.
Stems

erect (greenish), usually closely appressed-strigose, sometimes glabrate, eglandular.

mostly erect, hispido-hirsute, sometimes woolly distally, minutely glandular.

Leaves

mostly basal or basal (persistent, persistent portion relatively long and slender-fibrous) and cauline (greenish);

basal blades 1-nerved linear to linear-oblanceolate or oblanceolate or narrowly spatulate, (20–)30–80 × (0.5–)1–3 mm;

cauline reduced distally (bases attenuate, not thickened and whitish-indurate) margins entire (apices obtuse or rounded), faces abaxially glabrous or glabrate, adaxially sparsely strigose, eglandular.

basal (persistent);

blades spatulate to obovate-spatulate, 8–30 × 3–6 mm, margins usually 3-lobed, sometimes 2-lobed or entire (lobes 3–8 mm, lanceolate to narrowly ovate or oblong, apices usually acute), ultimately entire, coarsely ciliate, faces hirsute, minutely glandular.

Involucres

(3.5–)4-–6.5 × (5–)6–13 mm.

8–12 × 10–15 mm.

Ray florets

15–55;

corollas white to pink, 4–8 mm, laminae coiling.

20–40;

corollas white to pinkish, 10–15 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing.

Disc corollas

(2.8–)3.5–4.3 mm.

3.5–4.5 mm.

Phyllaries

in 2–4 series (greenish or sometimes purple, margins thickened), strigose to loosely strigoso-hirsute, sometimes more densely so on distal 1/3, sparsely minutely glandular.

in 2–3 series (purplish or purple-tipped), hirsute to villoso-hirsute, glandular.

Heads

1(–3 rarely, from branches at midstem).

1.

Cypselae

2.2–2.9 mm, 2-nerved, faces and margins villoso-hirsute, sometimes more densely so on nerves;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 15–25 bristles.

2–2.5 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 15–20 bristles (not twisted).

2n

= 45.

Erigeron nematophyllus

Erigeron trifidus

Phenology Flowering May–Aug. Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Sagebrush to pinyon-juniper and yellow pine, shale and sandstone, ridges, bases of cliffs, shale gravel, clay flats with Artemisia Dry talus and scree slopes in upper alpine zone
Elevation 1700–2900 m (5600–9500 ft) ca. 2600–3400 m (ca. 8500–11200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AB; BC
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Erigeron trifidus has been treated as a synonym of E. compositus; caudex branches of the latter usually are relatively thick and short, compared to those of E. trifidus, which are thinner and are not covered with persistent leaf bases. Leaves of E. trifidus are consistently 3-lobed. Erigeron trifidus was hypothesized (J. G. Packer 1983) to be of hybrid origin (based on its polyploid chromosome number and sterile pollen), with E. lanatus and E. compositus as the most likely parents (based on intermediate morphology and sympatry of the putative parents).

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 293. FNA vol. 20, p. 301.
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. 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. 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. 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. 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
Synonyms E. compositus var. trifidus
Name authority Rydberg: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 32: 124. (1905) Hooker: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 17, plate 120. (1834)
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