Flora of North America species comparison

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Eucephalus gormanii

Eucephalus engelmannii

Gorman's aster

Engelmann's aster, Engelmann's mountain-aster
Habit Perennials, 10–40 cm (caudices woody or rhizomes short-creeping; herbage sparsely to moderately glandular-hairy, not glaucous). Perennials 50–120(–150) cm (with caudices or stout rhizomes).
Stems

ascending to erect, sparsely to moderately glandular-hairy.

ascending to erect, glabrate or pilose, eglandular to ± densely glandular.
Leaves

mid and distal blades lance-ovate to elliptic, 1.5–3 cm × 4–10 mm.

mid and distal blades elliptic to lance-ovate, 5–10 cm × 15–35 mm, faces glabrous and eglandular to adaxially villous and/or ± glandular.
Peduncles

glandular.

often stipitate-glandular.
Involucres

turbinate, 6–8 mm.

turbinate, 7–10 mm.
Phyllaries

in 2–4 series (whitish), lanceolate to ovate (unequal), apices acute, abaxial face glabrous or glandular-hairy.

in 4–6 series (strongly unequal, often reddish apically), linear to lance-ovate, acute to acuminate, pubescent to glandular or glabrate abaxially, villous adaxially, especially distally (appearing ciliate toward tips).
Heads

usually 2–5 in racemiform to corymbiform arrays, sometimes borne singly.

5–15(–40) in racemiform to corymbiform arrays.
Cypselae

pilose;

pappus bristles in 2 series smooth or ± barbellate.

usually pilose;

pappus bristles in 2 series, barbellate.
Rays

(5–)8–13, white (often pinkish in bud).

usually 8 or 13, white to pink.
2n

= 18.

= 18.

Eucephalus gormanii

Eucephalus engelmannii
Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Open rocky slopes and exposed cliffs Open coniferous forests, montane and subalpine meadows
Elevation 1200–1900 m (3900–6200 ft) 500–3000 m (1600–9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; ID; MT; NV; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Eucephalus gormanii is known only from the central Cascade Mountains. It is closely related to E. paucicapitatus.

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

Forms of Eucephalus engelmannii from the Cascade Mountains with leaves more densely pubescent on the abaxial faces may reflect intergradation with E. ledophyllus.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 41. FNA vol. 20, p. 40.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Eucephalus Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Eucephalus
Sibling taxa
E. breweri, E. elegans, E. engelmannii, E. glabratus, E. glaucescens, E. ledophyllus, E. paucicapitatus, E. tomentellus, E. vialis
E. breweri, E. elegans, E. glabratus, E. glaucescens, E. gormanii, E. ledophyllus, E. paucicapitatus, E. tomentellus, E. vialis
Synonyms Aster gormanii Aster elegans var. engelmannii, Aster engelmannii
Name authority Piper: Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 29: 101. (1916) (D. C. Eaton) Greene: Pittonia 3: 54. (1896)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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