Flora of North America species comparison

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Eucephalus paucicapitatus

Eucephalus gormanii
Eucephalus paucicapitatus

Olympic mountain-aster

Gorman's aster
Habit Perennials 20–55 cm (caudices woody). Perennials, 10–40 cm (caudices woody or rhizomes short-creeping; herbage sparsely to moderately glandular-hairy, not glaucous).
Stems

ascending to erect, pilose or glandular-pubescent.

ascending to erect, sparsely to moderately glandular-hairy.
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 lance-ovate to elliptic, 1.5–3 cm × 4–10 mm.
Peduncles

stipitate-glandular.

glandular.
Involucres

turbinate-obconic, 7–9 mm.

turbinate, 6–8 mm.
Phyllaries

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

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

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

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

obconic, pilose;

pappus bristles in 2 series, ± barbellate.

pilose;

pappus bristles in 2 series smooth or ± barbellate.
Rays

7–13(–21), white.

(5–)8–13, white (often pinkish in bud).
2n

= 18.

Eucephalus paucicapitatus

Eucephalus gormanii
Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Open subalpine meadows or scree slopes Open rocky slopes and exposed cliffs
Elevation 800–3300 m [2600–10800 ft] 1200–1900 m [3900–6200 ft]
Distribution
from FNA
WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
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 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.)
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. glaucescens, E. ledophyllus, E. paucicapitatus, E. tomentellus, E. vialis
Synonyms Aster engelmannii var. paucicapitatus, Aster paucicapitatus Aster gormanii
Name authority (B. L. Robinson) Greene: Pittonia 3: 56. (1896) Piper: Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 29: 101. (1916)
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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