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brickellbush aster, hairy rayless aster, rayless aster

Eucephalus paucicapitatus

Olympic mountain-aster

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

erect, woolly or cottony.

ascending to erect, pilose or glandular-pubescent.

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 elliptic-oblong, 2–4 cm × 4–13 mm, sparsely scabrous to stipitate-glandular abaxially, moderately stipitate-glandular adaxially.

Peduncles

pubescent.

stipitate-glandular.

Involucres

turbinate, 7–10 mm.

turbinate-obconic, 7–9 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 2–3 series (whitish), lance-linear (unequal), apices acute, abaxial faces stipitate-glandular.

Heads

3–40 in racemiform to paniculiform arrays.

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

Cypselae

glabrous or pilose;

pappus bristles in 2 series, ± barbellate.

obconic, pilose;

pappus bristles in 2 series, ± barbellate.

Rays

(0–)1–3(–6), violet-purple.

7–13(–21), white.

Eucephalus tomentellus

Eucephalus paucicapitatus

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Open oak or coniferous woods, forest openings and rocky cliffs Open subalpine meadows or scree slopes
Elevation 1300–2400 m (4300–7900 ft) 800–3300 m (2600–10800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
WA; 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.)

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.)

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. paucicapitatus, E. vialis
E. breweri, E. elegans, E. engelmannii, E. glabratus, E. glaucescens, E. gormanii, E. ledophyllus, E. tomentellus, E. vialis
Synonyms Sericocarpus tomentellus, Aster brickellioides, Aster tomentellus, E. bicolor, E. brickellioides Aster engelmannii var. paucicapitatus, Aster paucicapitatus
Name authority (Greene) Greene: Pittonia 3: 55. (1896) (B. L. Robinson) Greene: Pittonia 3: 56. (1896)
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