Flora of North America species comparison

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Eucephalus tomentellus

Eucephalus engelmannii

brickellbush aster, hairy rayless aster, rayless aster

Engelmann's aster, Engelmann's mountain-aster
Habit Perennials 40–90 cm (caudices woody). Perennials 50–120(–150) cm (with caudices or stout rhizomes).
Stems

erect, woolly or cottony.

ascending to erect, glabrate or pilose, eglandular to ± densely glandular.
Leaves

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

mid and distal blades elliptic to lance-ovate, 5–10 cm × 15–35 mm, faces glabrous and eglandular to adaxially villous and/or ± glandular.
Peduncles

pubescent.

often stipitate-glandular.
Involucres

turbinate, 7–10 mm.

turbinate, 7–10 mm.
Phyllaries

in 4–6 series (often reddish at margins and apices), linear-oblong to ovate (strongly unequal), apices acute, abaxial faces tomentose to stipitate-glandular.

in 4–6 series (strongly unequal, often reddish apically), linear to lance-ovate, acute to acuminate, pubescent to glandular or glabrate abaxially, villous adaxially, especially distally (appearing ciliate toward tips).
Heads

3–40 in racemiform to paniculiform arrays.

5–15(–40) in racemiform to corymbiform arrays.
Cypselae

glabrous or pilose;

pappus bristles in 2 series, ± barbellate.

usually pilose;

pappus bristles in 2 series, barbellate.
Rays

(0–)1–3(–6), violet-purple.

usually 8 or 13, white to pink.
2n

= 18.

Eucephalus tomentellus

Eucephalus engelmannii
Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Open oak or coniferous woods, forest openings and rocky cliffs Open coniferous forests, montane and subalpine meadows
Elevation 1300–2400 m (4300–7900 ft) 500–3000 m (1600–9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; ID; MT; NV; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Forms of Eucephalus engelmannii from the Cascade Mountains with leaves more densely pubescent on the abaxial faces may reflect intergradation with E. ledophyllus.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 42. FNA vol. 20, p. 40.
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. paucicapitatus, E. vialis
E. breweri, E. elegans, E. glabratus, E. glaucescens, E. gormanii, E. ledophyllus, E. paucicapitatus, E. tomentellus, E. vialis
Synonyms Sericocarpus tomentellus, Aster brickellioides, Aster tomentellus, E. bicolor, E. brickellioides Aster elegans var. engelmannii, Aster engelmannii
Name authority (Greene) Greene: Pittonia 3: 55. (1896) (D. C. Eaton) Greene: Pittonia 3: 54. (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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