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feather-leaf fleabane

Bigelow's fleabane

Habit Perennials, 4–11 cm; taprooted, caudex branches usually relatively thick, woody. Perennials (often short-lived), 10–30 cm; taprooted, caudices woody, simple (stems and leaves arising from near roots).
Stems

erect, sparsely to moderately hispidulous and minutely glandular, sometimes merely glandular.

erect (brittle, often subintricately branched), hispidulous (hairs sometimes downcurved or deflexed), eglandular.

Leaves

mostly basal and proximal (persistent);

basal blades spatulate to obovate (often folding), 20–40(–50) × 5–10 mm, margins pinnatifid (lobes linear), faces usually glabrate, sometimes sparsely hirsute, usually minutely glandular;

cauline blades mostly linear, abruptly reduced distally or nearly absent, margins entire, usually coarsely ciliate.

mostly cauline (basal abruptly withering);

proximal cauline blades usually linear-oblong, rarely oblanceolate to obovate, 4–10(–20) × 2–6 mm, reduced distally, margins entire, faces hispid, minutely glandular.

Involucres

5.5–8 × 9–13 mm.

4–5 × 6–8 mm.

Ray florets

40–70;

corollas usually light blue, sometimes slightly purplish, drying bluish or fading lighter, 7–12 mm, laminae reflexing.

20–40(–50);

corollas white to pink or purplish, without abaxial midstripe, 5–9 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing.

Disc corollas

3.8–4.5 mm.

3.5–4 mm (throats slightly white-indurate and inflated).

Phyllaries

in 3–5 series, sparsely hispidulous to hirsuto-villous, minutely glandular.

in (2–)3–4 series, glabrous or outer sparsely hispid, minutely glandular.

Heads

1.

1(–3) per main branch, (–20–30 in later season on wiry, brittle branches).

Cypselae

1.5–1.8 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner (persistent) of 25–30 bristles, with outer setae.

1.5–1.9 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of scales, inner of 15–18(–23) bristles.

2n

= 36.

Erigeron pinnatisectus

Erigeron bigelovii

Phenology Flowering late Jun–Aug. Flowering Apr–Nov (with available moisture).
Habitat Bluffs and ledges, moraines, subalpine and alpine meadows Rocky slopes and ledges, with Agave, Yucca, Dasylirion, Prosopis, Larrea
Elevation 2700–3700(–4000) m (8900–12100(–13100) ft) (1000–)1500–2100 m ((3300–)4900–6900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; NM; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, Zacatecas)
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 310. FNA vol. 20, p. 348.
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. 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. 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. 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. 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
Synonyms E. compositus var. pinnatisectus
Name authority (A. Gray) A. Nelson: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 26: 246. (1899) A. Gray: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 78. (1859)
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