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buff daisy, cushion daisy, cushion fleabane, hairy-seed daisy, hairy-seed fleabane, Kittitas fleabane, purple-cushion fleabane

compact daisy, cushion daisy, fern-leaf fleabane

Habit Perennials, 3–15 cm; taprooted, caudices simple or with relatively short and thick branches. Perennials, 2–10 cm; taprooted, caudices branched.
Stems

erect, sometimes branched, hirsute (hairs unequal), ± minutely glandular.

erect (scapiform, bracteate), finely strigose, eglandular.

Leaves

mostly basal (persistent; petioles prominently ciliate, hairs spreading, thick-based);

blades narrowly oblanceolate to spatulate, (20–)30–80 × 2–4(–12) mm, cauline sometimes continuing distally to about midstem, margins entire, usually ciliate, sometimes coarsely so, faces sparsely to densely hirsute, sometimes minutely glandular.

(persistent) mostly basal (leaf bases broadened or not, not thickened and whitish-indurate);

blades linear, 4–20 × 0.5–1.5 mm, cauline bractlike or absent, margins entire, faces densely, finely strigose (hairs thin-based), eglandular.

Involucres

5–9 × 9–20 mm.

5–8 × 7–17 mm.

Ray florets

15–45 or 0;

corollas usually pink to bluish purple, sometimes white, 5–14 mm, laminae coiling.

15–32;

corollas white to pinkish, often with an abaxial lilac midstripe, 6–11 mm (tubes and laminae bases glabrous or glabrate), laminae tardily coiling.

Disc corollas

(3.5–)4–5.5 mm.

4.5–6 mm.

Phyllaries

in 2–3 series, sparsely to densely hirsuto-villous to hirsute, minutely glandular.

in 2–3(–4) series, finely and closely strigose (hairs thin-based), inconspicuously minutely glandular.

Heads

1(–3) (from branches at or proximal to midstem).

1.

Cypselae

2.5–3 mm, 2-nerved, faces densely strigoso-sericeous (obscured);

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 20–30 bristles.

2.8–3.2 mm, 2-nerved, margins velutinous-ciliate, faces glabrous;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 30–40 bristles.

Erigeron poliospermus

Erigeron compactus

Phenology Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Dry, sandy or rocky soil, dunes, sagebrush, pinyon-juniper
Elevation 1300–2900 m (4300–9500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV; UT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

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

Of conservation concern.

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

Key
1. Stems branched at or proximal to midstem; basal leaves and branches originating on elongate internodes from proximal 1–6 cm of primary stems; stems and involucres glabrous or sparsely hirsute, densely minutely glandular
var. cereus
1. Stems simple; basal leaves and stems originating from compressed nodes at caudex apices; stems and involucres densely hirsute, sparsely minutely glandular
→ 2
2. Rays 0
var. disciformis
2. Rays 15–45
var. poliospermus
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 285. FNA vol. 20, p. 295.
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. pinnatisectus, E. piperianus, E. piscaticus, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
E. poliospermus var. cereus, E. poliospermus var. disciformis, E. poliospermus var. poliospermus
Synonyms E. pulvinatus
Name authority A. Gray: in A. Gray et al., Syn. Fl. N. Amer. 1(2): 210. (1884) S. F. Blake: Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 35: 78. (1922)
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