Flora of North America species comparison

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Eucephalus paucicapitatus

Eucephalus ledophyllus
Eucephalus paucicapitatus

Olympic mountain-aster

Cascade aster
Habit Perennials 20–55 cm (caudices woody). Perennials, 20–80 cm (caudices stout).
Stems

ascending to erect, pilose or glandular-pubescent.

erect, pilose to 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 lance-elliptic to oblong, 2.5–7 cm × 5–20 mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent abaxially, ± densely cottony and sometimes stipitate-glandular adaxially.
Peduncles

stipitate-glandular.

pilose to stipitate-glandular.
Involucres

turbinate-obconic, 7–9 mm.

turbinate, 7–11 mm.
Phyllaries

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

in 3–5 series (usually reddish at margins and apices), lanceolate (strongly unequal), apices acute to acuminate, abaxial faces puberulent to stipitate-glandular.
Heads

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

3–20 in racemiform to corymbiform arrays.
Cypselae

obconic, pilose;

pappus bristles in 2 series, ± barbellate.

pilose;

pappus bristles in 2 series, smooth or ± barbellate.
Rays

7–13(–21), white.

5–21, purple.
2n

= 18.

Eucephalus paucicapitatus

Eucephalus ledophyllus
Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Open subalpine meadows or scree slopes
Elevation 800–3300 m [2600–10800 ft]
Distribution
from FNA
WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR; 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.)

eucephalus ledophyllus may intergrade with e. engelmannii in the northern part of its range

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Peduncles glandular or not, at least ± woolly or cottony; rays usually 13 or 21
var. ledophyllus
1. Peduncles glandular, not cottony; rays usually 5 or 8
var. covillei
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. gormanii, E. paucicapitatus, E. tomentellus, E. vialis
Subordinate taxa
E. ledophyllus var. covillei, E. ledophyllus var. ledophyllus
Synonyms Aster engelmannii var. paucicapitatus, Aster paucicapitatus Aster engelmannii var. ledophyllus, Aster ledophyllus
Name authority (B. L. Robinson) Greene: Pittonia 3: 56. (1896) (A. Gray) Greene: Pittonia 3: 55. (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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