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

bald-fruit fleabane, changing fleabane

Habit Perennials, 3–15 cm; taprooted, caudices simple or with relatively short and thick branches. Annuals or rarely short-lived perennials, 12–50(–80) cm; taprooted or rarely fibrous-rooted.
Stems

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

(single or multiple from bases) usually basally ascending, strigose to villous, often slightly and minutely stipitate-glandular near to heads.

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.

basal (usually not persistent) and cauline;

blades narrowly lanceolate to oblanceolate, basal (5–)20–50 × 3–9 mm, cauline gradually reduced distally, margins entire or proximal shallowly crenate to serrate with 1–3 pairs of teeth, faces sparsely strigose, eglandular.

Involucres

5–9 × 9–20 mm.

2.5–4 × (3–)5–9 mm.

Ray florets

15–45 or 0;

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

60–110;

corollas white, 2.5–5(–7) mm, laminae not reflexing or coiling.

Disc corollas

(3.5–)4–5.5 mm.

1.2–2 mm (throats slightly indurate and inflated).

Phyllaries

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

in 2–3 series (margins scarious at least in inner), sparsely hirsute, minutely glandular.

Heads

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

(1–)5–ca. 100.

Cypselae

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

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

(0.5–)0.8–1.3 mm, 2-nerved, faces glabrous or sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of minute, blunt scales or fimbriate crowns (to 0.15 mm), inner 0.

2n

= 18, 27, 36.

Erigeron poliospermus

Erigeron versicolor

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun(–Oct).
Habitat Scattered and local, open sites, usually in moist soil, edges of low or marshy areas, stream edges, ditches
Elevation 100–400 m (2600–2900 m, Ariz.) (300–1300 ft (8500–9500 ft, Ariz.))
Distribution
from FNA
ID; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

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

In Arizona, Erigeron versicolor grows in meadows, along creeks, and in pine-aspen-spruce areas.

Erigeron versicolor is distinguished by its annual duration, nodding buds, conic receptacles, broad phyllaries, and pappi of only minute crowns. The species appears to be disjunctly divided among three regions in the United States and Mexico (D. C. D. De Jong and G. L. Nesom 1996), and habitats vary widely. This is an unusual distribution. There is much variation in duration, root type, orientation of stem pubescence, elaboration of the pappus crown, and achene vestiture, and this morphologic variation does not appear to be strongly correlated with geography.

(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. 344.
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. 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. 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 Achaetogeron versicolor, Achaetogeron chihuahuensis, E. geiseri var. calcicola, E. gilensis, E. mimegletes
Name authority A. Gray: in A. Gray et al., Syn. Fl. N. Amer. 1(2): 210. (1884) (Greenman) G. L. Nesom: Sida 9: 225. (1982)
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