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hairy fleabane, poor robin fleabane, robin's plantain, robin's plantain fleabane

loose daisy, rambling fleabane

Habit Perennials, 15–60 cm; rhizomatous, fibrous-rooted, primary rhizomes relatively slender, producing slender, herbaceous, scale-leaved, stoloniform rhizomes (rhizomes often not collected). Perennials, 2–4(–5.5) cm (cespitose, relatively loose); taprooted, caudices diffuse with extensive system of relatively long, slender, rhizomelike branches.
Stems

erect to ascending (usually abruptly dilated proximal to heads), villous (more densely so on proximal 1/2), eglandular.

erect (simple, ± scapiform), sparsely hirsute, sparsely to densely minutely glandular.

Leaves

basal (persistent) and cauline;

basal blades oblanceolate to obovate or suborbiculate, subspatulate, 20–130(–180) × 6–30(–50) mm;

cauline gradually reduced distally (bases clasping and slightly auriculate), margins usually dentate to denticulate, rarely entire, faces sparsely to moderately hirsute to hirsuto-villous, sometimes glabrate or glabrous (especially adaxially), eglandular.

basal (persistent) and cauline;

blades spatulate, (5–)10–25(–30) × 4–10 mm, distal cauline bractlike, margins 3–5-lobed (lobes rounded), ultimately entire, faces finely puberulent, minutely glandular.

Involucres

5–7 × 6–20 mm.

5–7 × 8–16 mm.

Ray florets

50–80(–100);

corollas light blue to purplish, pink, or white, 6–10 mm, laminae coiling tardily at tips.

25–40;

corollas white to pink, 4–7 mm, laminae coiling.

Disc corollas

4.5–6 mm.

3–3.8 mm.

Phyllaries

in 2–3(–4) series, sparsely to moderately hirsute to hirsuto-villous (cross walls not distinctly colored), minutely glandular to stipitate-glandular.

in 2–3 series (purplish), hirsute to villoso-hirsute (hairs without colored crosswalls), minutely glandular.

Heads

1–4(–9).

1.

Cypselae

1.3–1.8 mm, 2(–4)-nerved, faces sparsely strigose to glabrate or glabrous;

pappi: outer 0 or of setae, inner of (22–)28–36 bristles.

1.9–2.2 mm, 2-nerved, faces finely strigoso-hirsute;

pappi: outer 0 (or inconspicuous), inner of ca. 20 bristles.

2n

= 18.

Erigeron pulchellus

Erigeron vagus

Phenology Flowering late Jun–Aug.
Habitat Rocky habitats, especially taluses, ponderosa pine, bristlecone pine, alpine meadows
Elevation 2400–4400 m (7900–14400 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; ON; QC
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from FNA
CA; CO; NV; OR; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Stems and leaves glabrous
var. brauniae
1. Stems and leaves hirsute to hirsuto-villous
→ 2
2. Rays blue to pinkish; disc corollas 4.5–6 mm; cypselae glabrous or glabrate
var. pulchellus
2. Rays white; disc corollas 4–4.5 mm; cypselae strigose
var. tolsteadii
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 327. FNA vol. 20, p. 301.
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. poliospermus, E. porsildii, E. pringlei, E. procumbens, 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. velutipes, E. vernus, E. versicolor, E. vetensis, E. vicinus, E. vreelandii, E. watsonii, E. wilkenii, E. yukonensis
Subordinate taxa
E. pulchellus var. brauniae, E. pulchellus var. pulchellus, E. pulchellus var. tolsteadii
Name authority Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 124. (1803) Payson: Univ. Wyoming Publ. Sci., Bot. 1: 179. (1926)
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