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California rayless fleabane, fleabane, lesser California rayless fleabane, little rayless fleabane

scepter-bearing fleabane

Habit Perennials, 8–20(–30) cm; taprooted, caudices branches rhizomelike, relatively long and slender. Annuals, 3–8 cm; taprooted.
Stems

(usually 1) erect or ascending, glabrous, eglandular.

(single or multiple) ascending from bases, moderately hirsuto-hirtellous (hairs spreading-ascending, mostly on ribs, bases thickened), minutely glandular.

Leaves

cauline;

blades linear, 8–25(–35) × 0.5–1(–1.5) mm, barely reduced distally, margins entire, ascending-ciliate, faces glabrous or sparsely strigose, eglandular.

mostly cauline;

blades linear to linear-oblanceolate, 10–30 × 0.5–1.5 mm (proximal rarely 4 mm wide), margins entire or proximalmost with 1–2 pairs of teeth, faces loosely ascending-strigose, minutely glandular.

Involucres

4–6 × 8–10 mm.

3–3.5 × 4–6 mm.

Ray florets

(60–)85–130(–195);

corollas white, drying purple, less often pink to bluish, 3.8–5 mm, laminae downward curving-reflexing.

Ray (pistillate) florets

0.

Disc corollas

3.5–4.5 mm (throats slightly indurate, not inflated).

1.8–2.3 mm (throats indurate and inflated).

Phyllaries

in 3–5 series (greenish or purplish apically), glabrous, minutely glandular.

in 3–4 series, sparsely hirsuto-strigose, minutely glandular.

Heads

(discoid) 1(–2–4).

20–50+ in loosely corymbiform arrays (buds erect).

Cypselae

2.2–2.8 mm, 2-nerved, faces glabrous;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 20–61 bristles.

0.6–0.7 mm, 2-nerved (nerves orange), faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer 0 or scales or setae, inner of 9–14 bristles.

Erigeron reductus

Erigeron sceptrifer

Phenology Flowering Jul–Oct.
Habitat Grasslands with scattered juniper, oak, or oak-pine
Elevation 1300–2100 m (4300–6900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Of conservation concern.

Erigeron sceptrifer is similar in habit to E. divergens; it has stem hairs only along the ribs, erect (versus nodding) buds, pappi of more bristles, without a conspicuous outer series, reflexing ray laminae, and orange cypselar nerves.

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

Key
1. Phyllaries apically purplish (variably so in Tamalpais region); pappus bristles (38–)46–61
var. angustatus
1. Phyllaries apically greenish; pappus bristles 20–30
var. reductus
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 313. FNA vol. 20, p. 337.
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. pulchellus, E. pulcherrimus, E. pumilus, E. purpuratus, E. pygmaeus, E. quercifolius, E. radicatus, 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. 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. reductus var. angustatus, E. reductus var. reductus
Synonyms E. inornatus var. reductus
Name authority (Cronquist) G. L. Nesom: Phytologia 72: 200. (1992) G. L. Nesom: Phytologia 69: 248. (1990)
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