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Rydberg's fleabane

bitter daisy, bitter fleabane, northern daisy, snow fleabane, snow fleabane daisy, snowbed fleabane

Habit Perennials, 2.5–6 cm; taprooted, caudex branches relatively short, thick. Biennials or short-lived perennials, 5–25(–35) cm; usually fibrous-rooted, sometimes taprooted, caudices simple or branched, sometimes weakly short-rhizomatous.
Stems

erect, finely hirsutulous to villosulous, eglandular.

erect to basally ascending, sometimes sparsely hirsuto-villous, minutely glandular.

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.

basal (persistent) and cauline (petiole margins coarsely ciliate);

basal blades oblanceolate to spatulate, 20–60 × 2–6(–10) mm;

cauline gradually reduced distally, margins entire or rarely with 1–2 pairs of shallow teeth, faces sparsely hirsuto-strigose, eglandular.

Involucres

5–6 × 7–12 mm.

5–6 × 8–11 mm.

Ray florets

15–35;

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

Ray (pistillate) florets

in 2 series;

outer 40–70, corollas white to pinkish 5.5–7 mm, laminae (filiform) erect, not coiling or reflexing;

inner many fewer than outer series, tubular, elaminate.

Disc corollas

3.7–5 mm.

4.4–5.5 mm.

Phyllaries

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

in 2–3(–4) series (inner apices attenuate to caudate), sparsely hirsuto-villous or glabrous, minutely glandular.

Heads

1.

1–6(–8) in corymbiform arrays (on curved-ascending peduncles).

Cypselae

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

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

2–2.3 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of (12–)14–21 (accrescent) bristles.

2n

= 18.

Erigeron rydbergii

Erigeron nivalis

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat Open subalpine to alpine slopes Rocky sites, gravel bars and banks, roadsides, meadows, open woods, up to subalpine areas with spruce in Rocky Mountains
Elevation 2000–3200 m (6600–10500 ft) 1200–3700 m (3900–12100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; MT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Erigeron nivalis usually has been treated as an infra-specific taxon within E. acris; the two are broadly sympatric in the northwestern United States and Canada without obvious intergrades. Both occur over a wide range of elevations and in similar habitats. Erigeron nivalis probably occurs in Nevada; it has not been taxonomically distinguished there. Erigeron scotteri was regarded by E. H. Moss and J. G. Packer (1983) as a synonym of E. acris (presumably var. debilis = E. nivalis; the heads are relatively small and borne singly).

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 293. FNA vol. 20, p. 322.
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. 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. 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. acris subsp. debilis, E. acris var. debilis, E. angulosus subsp. debilis, E. debilis, E. elatus var. bakeri, E. jucundus, E. scotteri, Trimorpha acris var. debilis
Name authority Cronquist: Brittonia 6: 191. (1947) Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 311. (1841)
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