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slender fleabane, slender-leaf fleabane

leafy daisy, leafy fleabane

Habit Biennials or short-lived perennials, 10–45 cm; fibrous-rooted, caudices simple. Perennials, 20–100 cm; taprooted, woody, with caudexlike branches 2–15 cm, or leafy stems arising directly from roots; single plants usually bowl-shaped, with up to a 65 cm lateral spread.
Stems

ascending (usually reddish proximally, branched distally), strigose, rarely hirsute proximally, eglandular.

erect or ascending (often purple, distal branches stiff, spreading-ascending, without axillary leaf tufts), glabrous or sparsely strigose (hairs straight, ascending-appressed), sometimes minutely glandular distally.

Leaves

basal (commonly persistent) and cauline;

basal blades oblanceolate to obovate or spatulate, 20–100(–130) × 4–20 mm, margins serrate or crenate to pinnately lobed, faces sparsely hirsute to strigoso-hirsute (hairs ascending), eglandular;

cauline becoming narrower and entire (bases not clasping or subclasping), abruptly reduced near midstem.

cauline;

blades 1-nerved (often sharply folding in narrower forms), filiform or linear to oblanceolate, 10–65 × 1–5(–10) mm, relatively even-sized (mid and distal longer than internodes), margins entire, ciliate (cilia ascending-appressed, thick-based), faces glabrous or sparsely strigose, eglandular.

Involucres

(2–)2.5–4 × 5–10 mm.

3.2–6.5 × 7–12(–14) mm.

Ray florets

60–120;

corollas blue to pale lavender or white, drying blue to purplish, 3–5 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing.

15–60;

corollas white to blue, 5–15 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing.

Disc corollas

2–2.7 mm.

3.5–5.5 mm (throats slightly indurate, not inflated).

Phyllaries

in 2–4 series, sparsely strigose, eglandular.

in 3–5 series (outer: margins stramineous, with distal, greenish, rhomboid patches; inner: margins narrow, scarious), glabrous or moderately to densely strigoso-hirsute, sparsely and obscurely to densely and prominently minutely glandular.

Heads

(1–)3–20(–60) in loosely corymbiform arrays (usually from branches beyond midstem).

1 or 2–5 in loosely corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

1–1.2 mm, 2(–4)-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 11–15 bristles.

(1.8–)2.2–3 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose;

pappi: outer of setae, inner of 19–34 bristles.

Erigeron tenuis

Erigeron foliosus

Phenology Flowering mid Mar–May(–Jun, –Nov).
Habitat Open oak, oak-pine, or pine woodlands, roadsides, fencerows, pastures, bottomland, sand or sandy clay, less common in clay
Elevation 10–200 m (0–700 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; KS; LA; MO; MS; OK; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; nw Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

A plant reported as Erigeron tenuis disjunct in North Carolina is perhaps better identified as E. strigosus: pappus bristles on the ray cypselae are reduced and variable in number.

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

Varieties 5 (5 in the flora).

Erigeron foliosus and its close relatives, including varieties, were mapped in detail by G. L. Nesom (1992b).

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

Key
1. Phyllaries 0.5–0.8 mm wide, margins usually thick or only narrowly scarious, abaxial faces sometimes sparsely and obscurely glandular
→ 2
1. Phyllaries 0.8–1 mm wide, margins usually broadly scarious, abaxial faces densely and prominently glandular
→ 3
2. Leaves (30–)40–60 mm, apices usually acute, often mostly with 1-directional orientation to one side of stems; inner phyllaries (4–)5–6 mm; ray corollas 8–13 mm
var. hartwegii
2. Leaves 20–40(–50) mm, apices usually rounded, without a prominent 1-directional orientation; inner phyllaries 3.2–4.5 mm; ray corollas 6–10 mm
var. foliosus
3. Phyllaries glabrous; leaves mostly 1–2 mm wide
var. confinis
3. Phyllaries moderately to densely strigoso-hirsute; leaves mostly 2–4 mm wide
→ 4
4. Leaf faces sparsely to moderately strigose; phyllaries with prominent, raised, orange-resinous midnerves; ray corollas 7–10 mm
var. franciscensis
4. Leaf faces glabrous or glabrate except for ascending-ciliate margins and midveins; phyllaries usually without distinct, orange-resinous midnerves; ray corollas 10–15 mm
var. mendocinus
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 347. FNA vol. 20, p. 311.
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. 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. 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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
E. foliosus var. confinis, E. foliosus var. foliosus, E. foliosus var. franciscensis, E. foliosus var. hartwegii, E. foliosus var. mendocinus
Name authority Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 2: 175. (1841) Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 309. (1840)
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