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Eucephalus paucicapitatus

Olympic mountain-aster

Klickitat aster

Habit Perennials 20–55 cm (caudices woody). Perennials, 40–160 cm (with caudices; herbage glabrous, ± glaucous).
Stems

ascending to erect, pilose or glandular-pubescent.

erect, glabrous.

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 linear to narrowly lance-elliptic, 4–10 cm × 4–16 mm.

Peduncles

stipitate-glandular.

glabrous or sparsely stipitate-glandular.

Involucres

turbinate-obconic, 7–9 mm.

turbinate to campanulate, 7–9 mm.

Phyllaries

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

in 3–5 series (reddish distally), linear to lanceolate or lance-ovate (unequal), apices acuminate, abaxial faces sparsely stipitate-glandular.

Heads

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

5–20(–60) in racemiform to paniculiform arrays.

Cypselae

obconic, pilose;

pappus bristles in 2 series, ± barbellate.

obconic, flattened, strigose;

pappus bristles in 2 series, smooth or ± barbellate.

Rays

7–13(–21), white.

commonly 8 or 13, purple.

Eucephalus paucicapitatus

Eucephalus glaucescens

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Jul–Sep(–Oct).
Habitat Open subalpine meadows or scree slopes Open coniferous woods, meadows, brushy slopes
Elevation 800–3300 m (2600–10800 ft) 800–1500 m (2600–4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
WA
[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.)

Of conservation concern.

Eucephalus glaucescens is known from the vicinity of Mt. Adams in Klickitat, Skamania, and Yakima counties. Intermediates with E. ledophyllus have been reported.

(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. glabratus, E. gormanii, E. ledophyllus, E. paucicapitatus, E. tomentellus, E. vialis
Synonyms Aster engelmannii var. paucicapitatus, Aster paucicapitatus Aster engelmannii var. glaucescens, Aster glaucescens, Aster glaucophyllus, Aster serrulatus, E. glaucophyllus, E. serrulatus
Name authority (B. L. Robinson) Greene: Pittonia 3: 56. (1896) (A. Gray) Greene: Pittonia 3: 56. (1896)
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