Erigeron speciosus |
Erigeron multiceps |
|
---|---|---|
aspen fleabane, showy daisy, showy fleabane, splendid fleabane |
Kern River daisy, Kern River fleabane |
|
Habit | Perennials, 30–80(–100) cm; rhizomatous, fibrous-rooted, caudices relatively thick. | Perennials, short-lived, 12–20 cm; taprooted, caudices simple or branched. |
Stems | erect, glabrous or sparsely hirsuto-pilose (hairs 0.5–1 mm), often minutely glandular distally. |
(single or multiple from bases) decumbent-ascending (branched from midstems), strigose (hairs fine, ascending-appressed), eglandular. |
Leaves | basal (usually withering by flowering) and cauline; basal blades oblanceolate-spatulate, 30–80(–150) × 4–18(–28) mm, margins entire, often ciliate (main veins sometimes also), faces glabrous, eglandular or distal sparsely minutely glandular; cauline blades ovate to ovate-lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate, or lanceolate, nearly even-sized distally or sometimes mid largest (continuing to immediately below heads, bases usually clasping to subclasping). |
mostly basal (persistent); blades spatulate to oblanceolate, 10–30 × 2–6 mm, cauline reduced distally, linear, margins entire, strigose, eglandular. |
Involucres | 6–9 × 11–22 mm. |
3.5–4 × 6–7 mm. |
Ray florets | 75–150; corollas blue to lavender, rarely whitish, 8–16 mm (mostly 1 mm wide), laminae slightly coiling at least at tips. |
75–125; corollas white to purplish 5–8 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing. |
Disc corollas | 4–5 mm. |
1.8–2.2 mm (throats white-indurate and somewhat inflated). |
Phyllaries | in 2–3(–4) series, usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely hirsuto-pilose, minutely glandular. |
in 3–4 series, sparsely hispid, minutely glandular. |
Heads | (2–)4–20 in corymbiform arrays. |
1(–3 on proximal branches). |
Cypselae | 1.5–1.8 mm, 2(–4)-nerved, faces sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of setae, inner of 20–30 bristles. |
0.7–0.9 mm, 2-nerved, sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of setae, inner of 5–8 bristles. |
Erigeron speciosus |
Erigeron multiceps |
|
Phenology | Flowering Jul–Oct. | Flowering Jun–Aug. |
Habitat | Dry or moist, gravelly or loamy soil, prairies, yellow pine, pine-fir, spruce-fir, aspen-spruce | Dry, open meadows and meadow edges near mixed conifer and aspen stands, sometimes in disturbed sites such as logging roads, sandy creek banks, annual drainages, and washes |
Elevation | (600–)900–3400 m ((2000–)3000–11200 ft) | 1500–2500 m (4900–8200 ft) |
Distribution |
AZ; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; SD; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; Mexico (Baja California)
|
CA; NV; Mexico (Baja California) |
Discussion | The population in Baja California is disjunct from the closest range in Arizona and northern Nevada. Plants glabrous and glandular on the phyllaries, stems, and leaves have been recognized as var. macranthus; they intergrade with hairier forms and do not show a coherent geographic pattern. Plants commonly identified as Erigeron subtrinervis var. conspicuus usually have stems sparsely hirsuto-pilose with hairs 1–1.5 mm, and the leaves commonly are ciliate on the margins and veins. As implied in the nomenclatural combination by Breitung, those plants are more similar to E. speciosus than to E. subtrinervis, and they apparently show part of the greater variability of E. speciosus in the northwestern part of its range (Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming), where more typical plants also occur. Erigeron speciosus and E. subtrinervis are sympatric over large parts of their ranges and appear to be at least partially reproductively isolated entities, although intermediates are frequently encountered. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Of conservation concern. Although Erigeron multiceps has been considered to be indistinct or doubtfully distinct from E. divergens (see G. L. Nesom 1993f), California botanists with field experience note that the two taxa can be distinguished when occuring in close proximity. Plants of the type collection and some others have thick taproots and thickened caudex branches, unlike closely related species. Plants from Clark County, Nevada (Red Rock Canyon Recreation Area, Leary 4031, UNLV) have taproots with simple caudices, decumbent-ascending, strigose stems, and persistent basal leaves; they are technically, at least, identified as E. multiceps. The disjunct Mexican plants are closely similar to those in California. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 20, p. 330. | FNA vol. 20, p. 342. |
Parent taxa | Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Erigeron | Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Erigeron |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Stenactis speciosa, E. conspicuus, E. macranthus, E. speciosus var. conspicuus, E. speciosus var. macranthus, E. subtrinervis subsp. conspicuus, E. subtrinervis var. conspicuus | |
Name authority | (Lindley) de Candolle: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 5: 284. (1836) | Greene: Pittonia 2: 167. (1891) |
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