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Eucephalus paucicapitatus

Olympic mountain-aster

brickellbush aster, hairy rayless aster, rayless aster

Habit Perennials 20–55 cm (caudices woody). Perennials 40–90 cm (caudices woody).
Stems

ascending to erect, pilose or glandular-pubescent.

erect, woolly or cottony.

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 elliptic, 2.5–6 cm × 7–20 mm, abaxial faces glabrous or glabrate, adaxial ± densely woolly to cottony.

Peduncles

stipitate-glandular.

pubescent.

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 (often reddish at margins and apices), linear-oblong to ovate (strongly unequal), apices acute, abaxial faces tomentose to stipitate-glandular.

Heads

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

3–40 in racemiform to paniculiform arrays.

Cypselae

obconic, pilose;

pappus bristles in 2 series, ± barbellate.

glabrous or pilose;

pappus bristles in 2 series, ± barbellate.

Rays

7–13(–21), white.

(0–)1–3(–6), violet-purple.

Eucephalus paucicapitatus

Eucephalus tomentellus

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Open subalpine meadows or scree slopes Open oak or coniferous woods, forest openings and rocky cliffs
Elevation 800–3300 m (2600–10800 ft) 1300–2400 m (4300–7900 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 tomentellus grows in the Siskiyou Mountains of southwestern Oregon and northern California. It may intergrade with E. breweri and E. glabratus.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 42. FNA vol. 20, p. 42.
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. ledophyllus, E. paucicapitatus, E. vialis
Synonyms Aster engelmannii var. paucicapitatus, Aster paucicapitatus Sericocarpus tomentellus, Aster brickellioides, Aster tomentellus, E. bicolor, E. brickellioides
Name authority (B. L. Robinson) Greene: Pittonia 3: 56. (1896) (Greene) Greene: Pittonia 3: 55. (1896)
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