[Members of the Sunflower Family with Daisy-like Heads in Mt. Adams Country]

Fleabanes and Daisies in Mt. Adams Country

The Genus Erigeron

Cut-leaf Daisy: Erigeron compositus

Cut-leaf Daisy: Erigeron compositus

Bitter Daisy, Northern Daisy: Erigeron nivalis (Synonyms: Erigeron acris ssp. debilis, Erigeron acris var. debilis, Trimorpha acris var. debilis) -

Bitter Fleabane: Erigeron acris var. kamtschaticus (Synonyms: Erigeron acris ssp. politus, Erigeron acris var. asteroides, Trimorpha acris var. asteroides) -

Cutleaf Daisy, Cut-leaved Daisy, Dwarf Mountain Fleabane, Fernleaf Fleabane: Erigeron compositus var. glabratus -

California Rayless Daisy, California Rayless Fleabane, Rayless Fleabane, Unadorned Fleabane: Erigeron inornatus var. inornatus - Lacks ray flowers

Desert Yellow Daisy, Lineleaf Daisy: Erigeron linearis (Synonyms: Diplopappus linearis, Erigeron peucephyllus) -

Foreign Erigeron, Mountain Daisy, Peregrine Fleabane, Subalpine Daisy, Subalpine Fleabane: Erigeron glacialis var. glacialis (Synonyms: Erigeron callianthemus, Erigeron peregrinus, Erigeorn peregrinus ssp. callianthemus, Erigeron peregrinus ssp. callianthemus var. callianthemus, Erigeron peregrinus var. angustifolius, Erigeron peregrinus var. callianthemus, Erigeron peregrinus var. eucallianthemus, Erigeron peregrinus var. scaposus, Erigeron ursinus) -

Aspen Fleabane, Showy Daisy, Showy Fleabane, Splendid Fleabane, Threenerve Fleabane: Erigeron speciosus var. speciosus (Synonyms: Erigeron conspicuus, Erigeron macranthus, Erigeron speciosus var. conspicuus, Erigeron speciosus var. macranthus, Erigeron speciosus var. speciosus, Erigeron speciosus var. typicus, Erigeron subtrinervis, Erigeron subtrinervis ssp. conspicuus, Erigeron subtrinervis var. conspicuus, Stenactis speciosa) -

Fleabanes can be identified from asters fairly easily by looking at the involucral bracts. Those of fleabanes are generally all of the same length while those of asters are of differing lengths and thus are overlapping like shingles. Generally, the fleabanes have numerous narrow ray flowers (those of the mountain daisy seen above are an exception) while those of the asters are fewer in number and broader. Fleabanes generally tend to bloom earlier than the asters, but this is harder to use as a classifying characteristic as I often see both genera in bloom side by side. The photo shows mountain daisy (Erigeron glacialis ssp. glacialis) along the Stagman Ridge Trail at the southwest corner of Mt. Adams.........July 27, 2006.
Paul Slichter E-mail