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Rydberg's fleabane

leafy daisy, leafy fleabane

Habit Perennials, 2.5–6 cm; taprooted, caudex branches relatively short, thick. Perennials, 20–100 cm; taprooted, woody, with caudexlike branches 2–15 cm, or leafy stems arising directly from roots; single plants usually bowl-shaped, with up to a 65 cm lateral spread.
Stems

erect, finely hirsutulous to villosulous, eglandular.

erect or ascending (often purple, distal branches stiff, spreading-ascending, without axillary leaf tufts), glabrous or sparsely strigose (hairs straight, ascending-appressed), sometimes minutely glandular distally.

Leaves

mostly basal (persistent);

blades linear-oblanceolate to narrowly spatulate, 10–50 × 1–3 mm, cauline mostly on proximal 1/2 of stems, reduced distally, margins entire (apices obtuse to rounded), abaxial faces glabrous, adaxial glabrous or sparsely villous, eglandular.

cauline;

blades 1-nerved (often sharply folding in narrower forms), filiform or linear to oblanceolate, 10–65 × 1–5(–10) mm, relatively even-sized (mid and distal longer than internodes), margins entire, ciliate (cilia ascending-appressed, thick-based), faces glabrous or sparsely strigose, eglandular.

Involucres

5–6 × 7–12 mm.

3.2–6.5 × 7–12(–14) mm.

Ray florets

15–35;

corollas usually bluish to purplish, rarely white, 6–9 mm, laminae coiling.

15–60;

corollas white to blue, 5–15 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing.

Disc corollas

3.7–5 mm.

3.5–5.5 mm (throats slightly indurate, not inflated).

Phyllaries

in 2–3 series, densely and finely hirsuto-villous (hairs without colored cross walls), minutely and inconspicuously glandular.

in 3–5 series (outer: margins stramineous, with distal, greenish, rhomboid patches; inner: margins narrow, scarious), glabrous or moderately to densely strigoso-hirsute, sparsely and obscurely to densely and prominently minutely glandular.

Heads

1.

1 or 2–5 in loosely corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

1.8–2 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 15–20 bristles.

(1.8–)2.2–3 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 19–34 bristles.

Erigeron rydbergii

Erigeron foliosus

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Open subalpine to alpine slopes
Elevation 2000–3200 m (6600–10500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; MT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; nw Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 5 (5 in the flora).

Erigeron foliosus and its close relatives, including varieties, were mapped in detail by G. L. Nesom (1992b).

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

Key
1. Phyllaries 0.5–0.8 mm wide, margins usually thick or only narrowly scarious, abaxial faces sometimes sparsely and obscurely glandular
→ 2
1. Phyllaries 0.8–1 mm wide, margins usually broadly scarious, abaxial faces densely and prominently glandular
→ 3
2. Leaves (30–)40–60 mm, apices usually acute, often mostly with 1-directional orientation to one side of stems; inner phyllaries (4–)5–6 mm; ray corollas 8–13 mm
var. hartwegii
2. Leaves 20–40(–50) mm, apices usually rounded, without a prominent 1-directional orientation; inner phyllaries 3.2–4.5 mm; ray corollas 6–10 mm
var. foliosus
3. Phyllaries glabrous; leaves mostly 1–2 mm wide
var. confinis
3. Phyllaries moderately to densely strigoso-hirsute; leaves mostly 2–4 mm wide
→ 4
4. Leaf faces sparsely to moderately strigose; phyllaries with prominent, raised, orange-resinous midnerves; ray corollas 7–10 mm
var. franciscensis
4. Leaf faces glabrous or glabrate except for ascending-ciliate margins and midveins; phyllaries usually without distinct, orange-resinous midnerves; ray corollas 10–15 mm
var. mendocinus
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 293. FNA vol. 20, p. 311.
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. robustior, E. rybius, 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. 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. foliosus var. confinis, E. foliosus var. foliosus, E. foliosus var. franciscensis, E. foliosus var. hartwegii, E. foliosus var. mendocinus
Name authority Cronquist: Brittonia 6: 191. (1947) Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 309. (1840)
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