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robust daisy, white cushion fleabane, Willamette fleabane

plains fleabane

Habit Perennials, (15–)25–55 cm (not colonial); taprooted, taproots thin (2–3 mm wide), caudices simple or with relatively slender and short, erect branches. Perennials (sometimes flowering early and appearing annual or biennial), 8–40 cm; usually taprooted (taproots woody or lignescent, early season forms sometimes fibrous-rooted), caudices usually woody, sometimes branched.
Stems

(often purplish) erect or decumbent, sparsely strigillose (basal cells inclined, hairs even-width), eglandular.

(often multiple from bases; of previous year often persistent) ascending to spreading (proximally reddish in early season, sometimes proximally woody or lignescent), loosely strigose to villous (proximal hairs sometimes spreading), often sparsely glandular.

Leaves

basal (often withering by flowering) and cauline;

basal blades (3-nerved) linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 90–170 × 3–7 mm;

cauline gradually reduced distally, ending proximal to heads, margins entire, faces strigoso-hirsute, eglandular.

basal (often withering by late flowering) and cauline;

blades oblanceolate to spatulate, 20–50(–100) × 3–7(–18) mm, gradually reduced distally, margins entire or with 1–2(–3) pairs of teeth, faces loosely strigose (hairs ascending), eglandular.

Involucres

6–8.5 × (12–)14–20 mm.

3–4.5 × 6–9(–12) mm.

Ray florets

21–36;

corollas 7–15(–19) mm, laminae white to pinkish, not coiling or reflexing.

24–65(–170);

corollas white, often with abaxial midstripe, often drying lilac, 4–7(–11) mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing.

Disc corollas

3.5–4.5 mm.

1.7–3.1 mm (throats indurate and slightly inflated).

Phyllaries

in 2–3(–4) series (narrowly oblanceolate to lanceolate, acute-acuminate), sparsely to moderately hirsute to villous, eglandular.

in 2–3 series, sparsely to moderately hirsute, minutely glandular.

Heads

1–3.

1(–3+, –50 in later season, branches at first from midstem or proximally, later more distal).

Cypselae

(1.8–)2–3.2 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 15–22 bristles.

1.1–1.4 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of (5–)12–17 bristles.

2n

= 27, 36.

Erigeron robustior

Erigeron modestus

Phenology Flowering Jun–Jul. Flowering (Mar–)Apr–Jun(–Oct).
Habitat Rocky or gravelly slopes, sometimes over serpentine, glades and meadows, seeps, sagebrush-scrub, proximal montane coniferous forest Rocky or gravelly sites, sand, clay, limestone, granite, sometimes deep sand, often with oak or oak-juniper, shrubland
Elevation (200–)700–1500 m ((700–)2300–4900 ft) 200–1700(–2300) m (700–5600(–7500) ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; KS; NM; OK; TX; Mexico (Coahuila, Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Erigeron modestus is a polyploid complex apparently incorporating genes from E. flagellaris, E. tracyi, elements of E divergens, and the Mexican E. pubescens Kunth; arbitrary identifications may be necessary. In most of its range in Texas, E. modestus is not sympatric with any of those other taxa. Forms flowering in early season (Mar–Apr) often have stems red at the bases, dentate basal leaves 30–60(–100) × 5–10(–18) mm, and single, relatively large heads (involucres 9–12 mm diam, ray florets 50–170, corollas 6.5–11 mm) on ebracteate peduncles 5–15 cm. Later season plants have nearly intricately branched stems with more numerous, much smaller, diffusely arranged heads.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 279. FNA vol. 20, p. 341.
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. reductus, E. religiosus, E. rhizomatus, 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. 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
Synonyms E. decumbens subsp. robustior, E. decumbens var. robustior E. lobatus var. warnockii, E. plateauensis, E. warnockii
Name authority (Cronquist) G. L. Nesom: Sida 21: 21. (2004) A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 68. (1849)
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