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feather-leaf fleabane

bract Utah fleabane

Habit Perennials, 4–11 cm; taprooted, caudex branches usually relatively thick, woody. Perennials, 10–55 cm; taprooted, caudices branched.
Stems

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

(greenish) erect, sparsely strigose, 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.

basal (usually withering by flowering, not forming conspicuous tufts) and cauline (leaf bases broadened or not, not thickened and whitish-indurate);

basal and proximalmost cauline blades oblanceolate-spatulate, 20–50 × 2–4 mm, margins entire, faces densely and closely strigose, eglandular;

cauline abruptly reduced to erect linear bracts 3–20 × 0.5 mm, relatively even-sized, at least beyond midstems to immediately proximal to heads.

Involucres

5.5–8 × 9–13 mm.

3–5 × 5–8 mm.

Ray florets

40–70;

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

10–14(–20);

corollas white to blue, 4–8 mm, laminae (0.7–1 mm wide) coiling.

Disc corollas

3.8–4.5 mm.

2–3.5 mm (viscid-puberulent, hairs multicellular, blunt).

Phyllaries

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

in 2–3 series, sparsely strigose or glabrous, densely minutely glandular.

Heads

1.

(1–)3–10, from branches well beyond midstems.

Cypselae

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

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

1.5–2.5 mm, 3–4-orange-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of inconspicuous setae, inner of 20–25 bristles.

Erigeron pinnatisectus

Erigeron sparsifolius

Phenology Flowering late Jun–Aug. Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat Bluffs and ledges, moraines, subalpine and alpine meadows Rocky or sandy soil, soil pockets and crevices in sandstone, canyon bottoms, river terraces
Elevation 2700–3700(–4000) m (8900–12100(–13100) ft) 1100–1700 m (3600–5600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; NM; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; UT
Discussion

Erigeron sparsifolius is partially sympatric with Erigeron utahensis. They are distinct in morphology and phenology, and intermediates are not common.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 310. FNA vol. 20, p. 297.
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. 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. 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 E. utahensis var. sparsifolius, E. vivax
Name authority (A. Gray) A. Nelson: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 26: 246. (1899) Eastwood: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 2, 6: 297. (1896)
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