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Eucephalus paucicapitatus

Olympic mountain-aster

Siskiyou aster, smooth aster

Habit Perennials 20–55 cm (caudices woody). Perennials, 30–60 cm (rhizomes branched).
Stems

ascending to erect, pilose or glandular-pubescent.

ascending to erect, glabrous or sparsely stipitate-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 lanceolate to lance-ovate, 3–6 cm × 5–15 mm, ± glabrous.

Peduncles

stipitate-glandular.

glabrous or sparsely glandular.

Involucres

turbinate-obconic, 7–9 mm.

campanulate, 8–9 mm.

Phyllaries

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

in 3–5 series (sometimes reddish apically), lanceolate to narrowly ovate (unequal), apices acute, abaxial glabrous or sparsely glandular.

Heads

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

3–8 in corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

obconic, pilose;

pappus bristles in 2 series, ± barbellate.

appressed-pilose;

pappus bristles in 2 series, ± smooth.

Rays

7–13(–21), white.

0 or 1–2(–4), violet-purple.

Eucephalus paucicapitatus

Eucephalus glabratus

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Open subalpine meadows or scree slopes Dry open oak or coniferous forest or chaparral
Elevation 800–3300 m (2600–10800 ft) 700–2300 m (2300–7500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[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.)

Eucephalus glabratus is found in the Klamath Mountains of northwestern California and southwestern Oregon. The species is reported to intergrade with E. breweri, E. ledophyllus, and E. tomentellus.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 42. FNA vol. 20, p. 41.
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. engelmannii, E. glaucescens, E. gormanii, E. ledophyllus, E. paucicapitatus, E. tomentellus, E. vialis
Synonyms Aster engelmannii var. paucicapitatus, Aster paucicapitatus Aster brickellioides var. glabratus, Aster siskiyouensis, E. glandulosus
Name authority (B. L. Robinson) Greene: Pittonia 3: 56. (1896) (Greene) Greene: Pittonia 3: 56. (1896)
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