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slender daisy, slender fleabane, thin daisy

bract Utah fleabane

Habit Perennials, 2–15(–20) cm; taprooted, caudex branches commonly relatively slender, lignescent. Perennials, 10–55 cm; taprooted, caudices branched.
Stems

erect, sparsely strigillose (hairs white, stiff), sometimes minutely glandular.

(greenish) erect, sparsely strigose, eglandular.

Leaves

mostly basal (persistent); (gray-green) blades 1-nerved spatulate, rhombic-elliptic to narrowly elliptic-ovate, (10–)15–80 × 2–7 mm, margins entire (apices sharply acute), faces moderately to densely strigillose (hairs white, stiff), eglandular.

basal (usually withering by flowering, not forming conspicuous tufts) and cauline (leaf bases broadened or not, not thickened and whitish-indurate);

basal and proximalmost cauline blades oblanceolate-spatulate, 20–50 × 2–4 mm, margins entire, faces densely and closely strigose, eglandular;

cauline abruptly reduced to erect linear bracts 3–20 × 0.5 mm, relatively even-sized, at least beyond midstems to immediately proximal to heads.

Involucres

3–5 × 6–12 mm.

3–5 × 5–8 mm.

Ray florets

(15–)20–40;

corollas blue to purple, 4–8 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing.

10–14(–20);

corollas white to blue, 4–8 mm, laminae (0.7–1 mm wide) coiling.

Disc corollas

2.5–4.1 mm.

2–3.5 mm (viscid-puberulent, hairs multicellular, blunt).

Phyllaries

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

in 2–3 series, sparsely strigose or glabrous, densely minutely glandular.

Heads

1(–3).

(1–)3–10, from branches well beyond midstems.

Cypselae

1.6–2.5 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 15–25(–30) bristles.

1.5–2.5 mm, 3–4-orange-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of inconspicuous setae, inner of 20–25 bristles.

2n

= 18.

Erigeron tener

Erigeron sparsifolius

Phenology Flowering Jun–Sep. Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat Rocky or gravelly habitats, often in talus, cliff ledges, crevices, or along ridgetops, in Atriplex, sagebrush, pinyon-juniper, yellow pine, bristlecone pine, limber pine, or spruce Rocky or sandy soil, soil pockets and crevices in sandstone, canyon bottoms, river terraces
Elevation 1700–3200(–3400) m (5600–10500(–11200) ft) 1100–1700 m (3600–5600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; UT
Discussion

Erigeron sparsifolius is partially sympatric with Erigeron utahensis. They are distinct in morphology and phenology, and intermediates are not common.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 304. FNA vol. 20, p. 297.
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. 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. 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. sceptrifer, E. scopulinus, E. serpentinus, E. sionis, E. sivinskii, 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. caespitosus var. tenerus E. utahensis var. sparsifolius, E. vivax
Name authority (A. Gray) A. Gray: Notes Compositae, 91. (1880) Eastwood: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 2, 6: 297. (1896)
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