Erigeron neomexicanus |
Erigeron parryi |
|
---|---|---|
New Mexico fleabane |
Parry's fleabane |
|
Habit | Perennials, 20–70 cm; taprooted, caudices woody. | Perennials, 1.5–5(–15) cm; taprooted, caudices multicipital or with relatively short, thick branches. |
Stems | erect, moderately to densely strigose (hairs appressed to ascending, 0.1–0.8(–2) mm, sometimes spreading at bases or throughout), eglandular or glands minute, non-capitate. |
erect, usually hirsute, rarely loosely strigoso-villous, eglandular. |
Leaves | basal (sometimes persistent) and cauline; blades oblanceolate, margins usually deeply pinnatifid (lobes in 2–5 pairs), sometimes dentate to entire, faces strigose, eglandular; basal 10–60 × 6–35 mm, cauline gradually reduced distally. |
basal (persistent) and cauline; basal blades linear-oblanceolate, 10–25(–50) × 0.8–2 mm; cauline on proximal 1/2–2/3 of stems, gradually reduced distally, margins entire, eciliate (apices rounded to obtuse), faces equally, densely loosely strigose to hirsuto-strigose, eglandular. |
Involucres | 3.5–5 × 7–12 mm. |
4–7 × 7–10 mm. |
Ray florets | 70–150; corollas white, drying white, (2–)6–15 mm, laminae reflexing. |
20–40; corollas white to pink or bluish, 6–8 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing. |
Disc corollas | 2.5–3.3 mm (throats somewhat white-indurate, not inflated). |
2.4–3.5 mm. |
Phyllaries | in 3–4 series, strigose to hirsute (hairs arising mostly from midregion), usually minutely glandular, rarely eglandular. |
in (2–)3 series (subequal), sparsely to densely villoso-strigose (basal cross walls sometimes purple), sparsely minutely glandular. |
Heads | (1–)5–15(–30) in loosely corymbiform arrays. |
1(–3, rarely). |
Cypselae | 1–1.3 mm, 2(–4)–nerved, faces sparsely strigose; pappi: (outer 0) inner (readily falling) of (8–)10–12 bristles. |
2–2.3 mm, 2-nerved, faces densely strigose; pappi: outer of setae or scales, inner of 12–15 (readily falling) bristles. |
2n | = 18, 36. |
|
Erigeron neomexicanus |
Erigeron parryi |
|
Phenology | Flowering (Jul–)Aug–Oct(–Dec). | Flowering Jun–Aug. |
Habitat | Open, rocky sites, from grasslands into oak or pine woodlands, often with madrono, juniper, or fir | Open, rocky (limestone) slopes and ridgecrests, sagebrush |
Elevation | (900–)1500–2700(–3000) m ((3000–)4900–8900(–9800) ft) | 1300–2200 m (4300–7200 ft) |
Distribution |
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
|
MT; WY |
Discussion | Relatively large, pinnatifid leaves are typical of Erigeron neomexicanus; plants with nearly entire leaves can be identified by the strongly perennial habit, white, reflexing rays, and 10–12 readily falling pappus bristles. Erigeron neomexicanus and E. oreophilus were treated by A. Cronquist (1947) as varieties of one species, and their morphologic similarity and the closeness of their geographic ranges support that hypothesis. But relatively few collections are found that could be regarded as intermediates, and both forms sometimes grow in proximity, apparently without a range of intermediates. In some Arizona mountain ranges, apparently only one or the other taxon occurs. Still, the possibility exists that these are populational segregants of a single species (see further comments in G. L. Nesom 1989d). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Erigeron parryi mostly has been included within the concept of E. ochroleucus, but two studies (P. Lesica 2005; G. L. Nesom 2004e) independently have confirmed its reality as an endemic of southwestern Montana and adjacent Wyoming. Leaves of E. parryi are equally hairy (usually hirsuto-strigose) on both faces, contrasted with the reduced vestiture (loosely strigose) only on adaxial leaf faces of E. ochroleucus, and the involucral vestiture is of hairs often with purplish cross walls. Also, E. parryi produces branched caudices and smaller heads with fewer rays. Lesica also noted as distinctive the caudex branches thickened by the presence of old leaf bases proximal to the current leaves. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 20, p. 277. | FNA vol. 20, p. 293. |
Parent taxa | Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Erigeron | Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Erigeron |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | E. delphiniifolius var. euneomexicanus, E. delphiniifolius subsp. neomexicanus | |
Name authority | A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 19: 2. (1883) | Canby & Rose: Bot. Gaz. 15: 65. (1890) |
Web links |