[Members of the Sunflower Family in the Columbia River Gorge with Flower Heads like Sunflowers or Daisies]

The Fleabanes or Daisies of the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Wildflowers of the Genus Erigeron

Cushion Fleabane, Hairy-seeded Daisy, Kittitas Fleabane, Purple Cushion Fleabane: Erigeron poliospermus var. poliospermus

Cushion Fleabane: Erigeron poliospermus

Howell's Daisy: Erigeron howellii

The photo at right shows a close-up of the flower head of Howell's daisy.


Bitter Fleabane: Erigeron acris var. kamtschaticus (Synonyms: Erigeron acris ssp. politus, Erigeron acris var. asteroides, Trimorpha acris var. asteroides, Trimorpha acris var. kamtschatica) - Collected at an unspecified area in the Gorge.

Annual Fleabane, Eastern Daisy Fleabane, Sweet Scabrous Fleabane: Erigeron annuus (Synonyms: Aster annuus, Erigeron annuus var. discoideus) - Annual or biennials. Erect plants erect with leafy stems from 60-150 cm high. Stems with long spreading hairs in the leafy infloerscence. Stem leaves broadly lanceolate and coarsely and irregularly toothed. Flower heads with 50-125 narrow rays.

Cutleaf Daisy, Dwarf Mountain Fleabane, Fernleaf Fleabane, Trifid Mountain Fleabane: Erigeron compositus (Synonyms: Erigeron compositus var. compositus, Erigeron compositus var. discoideus, Erigeron compositus var. glabratus) - Cushion plant. Leaves dissected into 3 narrow segments, which are each again divided into 3 narrow segments.

Diffuse Daisy, Diffuse Fleabane, Spreading Fleabane: Erigeron divergens (Synonym: Erigeron divergens var. divergens) - Plants biennial or short-lived perennials, much-branched from the tap-rooted base. Leaves up to 4-5 mm wide.

Threadleaf Fleabane, Peck's Threadleaf Fleabane, Thread-leaved Daisy, Thread-leaved Fleabane: Erigeron filifolius (Synonyms: Erigeron filifolius var. filifolius, Erigeron filifolius var. robustior) - Leaves narrowly linear, no more than 1 mm wide. Stem hairs appressed to closely ascending.

Foreign Daisy, Peregrine Fleabane, Subalpine Daisy: 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) - An erect, showy fleabane of mountain meadows and open woods. Flower heads are large, with a yellowish central disk surrounded by 30-80 white to purple ray flowers.

Howell's Daisy, Howell's Fleabane: Erigeron howellii (Synonyms: Erigeron salsuginosus var. howellii) - An erect, pretty wildflower with basal leaf blades abruptly contracted to the petiole. The stem leaves are thin with clasping bases. The rays are white. A plant of rocky places in the western Columbia River Gorge.

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

Desert Yellow Daisy, Desert Yellow Fleabane, Lineleaf Fleabane: Erigeron linearis (Synonyms: Diplopappus linearis, Erigeron peucephyllus) - Cushion plant of many linear leaves and short upright flowering stems. Each stem has one quarter-sized flower with yellow disk and yellow rays. Plants to 5 inches tall.

Columbia Gorge Daisy, Gorge Fleabane, Oregon Fleabane: Erigeron oreganus - An attractive wildflower with hairy herbage. The stems are lax with a basal tuft of spatulate to obovate leaves. The leaves are coarsely-toothed. The stem leaves are elliptic, ovate, or lanceolate.

Pink Fleabane, Philadelphia Fleabane: Erigeron philadelphicus (Synonym: Erigeron philadelphicus var. philadelphicus) - Weedy species with erect stems from 30-90 cm high. The basal leaves are 3-10 cm long and oblanceolate with toothed margins. The upper leaves are reduce gradually, the leaves lanceolate with clasping bases. The inflorescence is a flat-topped cluster of many flower heads. The rays are up to 10 mm long.

Cushion Fleabane, Hairy-seeded Daisy, Kittitas Fleabane, Purple Cushion Fleabane: Erigeron poliospermus var. poliospermus - Cushion plant with daisy-like flowers, pink, purple, or violet rays with yellow central disk. Plants to 6 inches tall.

Shaggy Fleabane: Erigeron pumilus var. intermedius (Synonyms: Erigeron pumilus var. euintermedius, Erigeron pumilus var. gracilior, Erigeron pumilus ssp. intermedius) -

Aspen Fleabane, Showy Daisy, Showy Fleabane, Splendid Fleabane, Threenerve Fleabane: Erigeron 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) - Perennials. Stems erect, 30-50 cm high. The herbage of stems, leaves and involucres is long-hairy. The long, lanceolate leaves have 3 major veins and entire margins. Rays 10-20 mm long.

Branching Daisy: Erigeron strigosus - Annual or biennial. Stems erect, 30-60 cm high. The herbage of stems and leaves is short-hairy, those of the stems appressed. The lower leaves are narrowly spatulate while the upper are reduced and linear. 6-10 flower heads are found in open, flat-topped clusters.


Paul Slichter