Flora of North America species comparison

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Eucephalus paucicapitatus

Eucephalus engelmannii
Eucephalus paucicapitatus

Olympic mountain-aster

Engelmann's aster, Engelmann's mountain-aster
Habit Perennials 20–55 cm (caudices woody). Perennials 50–120(–150) cm (with caudices or stout rhizomes).
Stems

ascending to erect, pilose or glandular-pubescent.

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

mid and distal blades elliptic to elliptic-oblong, 2–4 cm × 4–13 mm, sparsely scabrous to stipitate-glandular abaxially, moderately stipitate-glandular adaxially.

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

stipitate-glandular.

often stipitate-glandular.
Involucres

turbinate-obconic, 7–9 mm.

turbinate, 7–10 mm.
Phyllaries

in 2–3 series (whitish), lance-linear (unequal), apices acute, abaxial faces stipitate-glandular.

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 2–4 in racemiform to corymbiform arrays, somtimes borne singly.

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

obconic, pilose;

pappus bristles in 2 series, ± barbellate.

usually pilose;

pappus bristles in 2 series, barbellate.
Rays

7–13(–21), white.

usually 8 or 13, white to pink.
2n

= 18.

Eucephalus paucicapitatus

Eucephalus engelmannii
Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Open subalpine meadows or scree slopes Open coniferous forests, montane and subalpine meadows
Elevation 800–3300 m [2600–10800 ft] 500–3000 m [1600–9800 ft]
Distribution
from FNA
WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; ID; MT; NV; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Eucephalus paucicapitatus is found on Vancouver Island, where it is very uncommon, and the Olympic Peninsula. It is closely related to E. gormanii.

(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. 42. 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. gormanii, E. ledophyllus, E. tomentellus, E. vialis
E. breweri, E. elegans, E. glabratus, E. glaucescens, E. gormanii, E. ledophyllus, E. paucicapitatus, E. tomentellus, E. vialis
Synonyms Aster engelmannii var. paucicapitatus, Aster paucicapitatus Aster elegans var. engelmannii, Aster engelmannii
Name authority (B. L. Robinson) Greene: Pittonia 3: 56. (1896) (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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