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bitter daisy, bitter fleabane, northern daisy, snow fleabane, snow fleabane daisy, snowbed fleabane

foothill daisy, foothill fleabane, long-leaf daisy, long-leaf fleabane

Habit Biennials or short-lived perennials, 5–25(–35) cm; usually fibrous-rooted, sometimes taprooted, caudices simple or branched, sometimes weakly short-rhizomatous. Perennials, 10–50 cm; taprooted, caudices usually with relatively slender and short, often woody branches.
Stems

erect to basally ascending, sometimes sparsely hirsuto-villous, minutely glandular.

ascending (often purplish proximally), hirsutulous (hairs spreading-deflexed), eglandular.

Leaves

basal (persistent) and cauline (petiole margins coarsely ciliate);

basal blades oblanceolate to spatulate, 20–60 × 2–6(–10) mm;

cauline gradually reduced distally, margins entire or rarely with 1–2 pairs of shallow teeth, faces sparsely hirsuto-strigose, eglandular.

basal (usually persistent) and cauline;

basal blades linear-oblanceolate, (30–)60–160 × 3–8(–14) mm;

cauline 3-nerved, gradually or little reduced distally (bases attenuate), margins entire (apices acute), faces hirsutulous, eglandular.

Involucres

5–6 × 8–11 mm.

5–7 × 7–13 mm.

Ray florets

35–65;

corollas blue or less commonly pink, 7–13 mm, laminae coiling at apices.

Ray (pistillate) florets

in 2 series;

outer 40–70, corollas white to pinkish 5.5–7 mm, laminae (filiform) erect, not coiling or reflexing;

inner many fewer than outer series, tubular, elaminate.

Disc corollas

4.4–5.5 mm.

4–5.3 mm.

Phyllaries

in 2–3(–4) series (inner apices attenuate to caudate), sparsely hirsuto-villous or glabrous, minutely glandular.

in 2–3 series, flat, densely hirsute to hirsuto-villous, sometimes sparsely minutely glandular.

Heads

1–6(–8) in corymbiform arrays (on curved-ascending peduncles).

1–10(–16) in loosely corymbiform arrays (on branches from distal 1/2 of stems, often well beyond middle).

Cypselae

2–2.3 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of (12–)14–21 (accrescent) bristles.

2–2.5 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 20–30 bristles.

2n

= 18.

= 18.

Erigeron nivalis

Erigeron corymbosus

Phenology Flowering May–Aug. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Rocky sites, gravel bars and banks, roadsides, meadows, open woods, up to subalpine areas with spruce in Rocky Mountains Open slopes, grassland, sagebrush, rabbitbrush, openings in ponderosa pine
Elevation 1200–3700 m (3900–12100 ft) 400–2200 m (1300–7200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; MT; OR; UT; WA; WY; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Erigeron nivalis usually has been treated as an infra-specific taxon within E. acris; the two are broadly sympatric in the northwestern United States and Canada without obvious intergrades. Both occur over a wide range of elevations and in similar habitats. Erigeron nivalis probably occurs in Nevada; it has not been taxonomically distinguished there. Erigeron scotteri was regarded by E. H. Moss and J. G. Packer (1983) as a synonym of E. acris (presumably var. debilis = E. nivalis; the heads are relatively small and borne singly).

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 322. FNA vol. 20, p. 278.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Erigeron Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Erigeron
Sibling taxa
E. abajoensis, E. acomanus, E. acris, E. aequifolius, E. algidus, E. aliceae, E. allocotus, E. alpiniformis, E. anchana, E. annuus, E. aphanactis, E. arenarioides, E. argentatus, E. arisolius, E. arizonicus, E. asperugineus, E. aureus, E. barbellulatus, E. basalticus, E. bellidiastrum, E. bigelovii, E. biolettii, E. blochmaniae, E. bloomeri, E. breweri, E. caespitosus, E. calvus, E. canaani, E. canus, E. cascadensis, E. cavernensis, E. cervinus, E. chrysopsidis, E. clokeyi, E. compactus, E. compositus, E. concinnus, E. consimilis, E. corymbosus, E. coulteri, E. cronquistii, E. davisii, E. decumbens, E. denalii, E. disparipilus, E. divergens, E. eatonii, E. elatior, E. elatus, E. elegantulus, E. elmeri, E. engelmannii, E. evermannii, E. eximius, E. filifolius, E. flabellifolius, E. flagellaris, E. flettii, E. foliosus, E. formosissimus, E. garrettii, E. geiseri, E. glabellus, E. glacialis, E. glaucus, E. goodrichii, E. gracilis, E. grandiflorus, E. greenei, E. heliographis, E. hessii, E. howellii, E. humilis, E. hyperboreus, E. hyssopifolius, E. inornatus, E. jonesii, E. kachinensis, E. karvinskianus, E. klamathensis, E. kuschei, E. lackschewitzii, E. lanatus, E. lassenianus, E. latus, E. leibergii, E. leiomerus, E. lemmonii, E. linearis, E. lobatus, E. lonchophyllus, E. maguirei, E. mancus, E. maniopotamicus, E. mariposanus, E. melanocephalus, E. miser, E. modestus, E. muirii, E. multiceps, E. nanus, E. nauseosus, E. nematophyllus, E. neomexicanus, E. ochroleucus, E. oreganus, E. oreophilus, E. ovinus, E. oxyphyllus, E. pallens, E. parishii, E. parryi, E. peregrinus, E. petrophilus, E. philadelphicus, E. pinnatisectus, E. piperianus, E. piscaticus, E. poliospermus, E. porsildii, E. pringlei, E. procumbens, E. pulchellus, E. pulcherrimus, E. pumilus, E. purpuratus, E. pygmaeus, E. quercifolius, E. radicatus, E. reductus, E. religiosus, E. rhizomatus, E. robustior, E. rybius, E. rydbergii, E. salishii, E. salmonensis, E. sanctarum, E. saxatilis, E. sceptrifer, E. scopulinus, E. serpentinus, E. sionis, E. sivinskii, E. sparsifolius, E. speciosus, E. strigosus, E. subglaber, E. subtrinervis, E. supplex, E. tenellus, E. tener, E. tenuis, E. tracyi, E. trifidus, E. tweedyi, E. uintahensis, E. uncialis, E. uniflorus, E. untermannii, E. ursinus, E. utahensis, E. vagus, E. velutipes, E. vernus, E. versicolor, E. vetensis, E. vicinus, E. vreelandii, E. watsonii, E. wilkenii, E. yukonensis
E. abajoensis, E. acomanus, E. acris, E. aequifolius, E. algidus, E. aliceae, E. allocotus, E. alpiniformis, E. anchana, E. annuus, E. aphanactis, E. arenarioides, E. argentatus, E. arisolius, E. arizonicus, E. asperugineus, E. aureus, E. barbellulatus, E. basalticus, E. bellidiastrum, E. bigelovii, E. biolettii, E. blochmaniae, E. bloomeri, E. breweri, E. caespitosus, E. calvus, E. canaani, E. canus, E. cascadensis, E. cavernensis, E. cervinus, E. chrysopsidis, E. clokeyi, E. compactus, E. compositus, E. concinnus, E. consimilis, E. coulteri, E. cronquistii, E. davisii, E. decumbens, E. denalii, E. disparipilus, E. divergens, E. eatonii, E. elatior, E. elatus, E. elegantulus, E. elmeri, E. engelmannii, E. evermannii, E. eximius, E. filifolius, E. flabellifolius, E. flagellaris, E. flettii, E. foliosus, E. formosissimus, E. garrettii, E. geiseri, E. glabellus, E. glacialis, E. glaucus, E. goodrichii, E. gracilis, E. grandiflorus, E. greenei, E. heliographis, E. hessii, E. howellii, E. humilis, E. hyperboreus, E. hyssopifolius, E. inornatus, E. jonesii, E. kachinensis, E. karvinskianus, E. klamathensis, E. kuschei, E. lackschewitzii, E. lanatus, E. lassenianus, E. latus, E. leibergii, E. leiomerus, E. lemmonii, E. linearis, E. lobatus, E. lonchophyllus, E. maguirei, E. mancus, E. maniopotamicus, E. mariposanus, E. melanocephalus, E. miser, E. modestus, E. muirii, E. multiceps, E. nanus, E. nauseosus, E. nematophyllus, E. neomexicanus, E. nivalis, E. ochroleucus, E. oreganus, E. oreophilus, E. ovinus, E. oxyphyllus, E. pallens, E. parishii, E. parryi, E. peregrinus, E. petrophilus, E. philadelphicus, E. pinnatisectus, E. piperianus, E. piscaticus, E. poliospermus, E. porsildii, E. pringlei, E. procumbens, E. pulchellus, E. pulcherrimus, E. pumilus, E. purpuratus, E. pygmaeus, E. quercifolius, E. radicatus, E. reductus, E. religiosus, E. rhizomatus, E. robustior, E. rybius, E. rydbergii, E. salishii, E. salmonensis, E. sanctarum, E. saxatilis, E. sceptrifer, E. scopulinus, E. serpentinus, E. sionis, E. sivinskii, E. sparsifolius, E. speciosus, E. strigosus, E. subglaber, E. subtrinervis, E. supplex, E. tenellus, E. tener, E. tenuis, E. tracyi, E. trifidus, E. tweedyi, E. uintahensis, E. uncialis, E. uniflorus, E. untermannii, E. ursinus, E. utahensis, E. vagus, E. velutipes, E. vernus, E. versicolor, E. vetensis, E. vicinus, E. vreelandii, E. watsonii, E. wilkenii, E. yukonensis
Synonyms E. acris subsp. debilis, E. acris var. debilis, E. angulosus subsp. debilis, E. debilis, E. elatus var. bakeri, E. jucundus, E. scotteri, Trimorpha acris var. debilis
Name authority Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 311. (1841) Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 308. (1840)
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