Eaton's Daisy, Eaton's Fleabane, Eaton's Shaggy Daisy, Eaton's Shaggy Fleabane
Erigeron eatonii var. villosus
The photo above shows Eaton's shaggy fleabane as seen along Forest Road #40 in meadows near Clearwater Lookout, Umatilla National Forest.......June 25, 2007. Some wormleaf stonecrop (Sedum stenopetaltum) can be seen in the foreground.
Characteristics:
Eaton's fleabane is an attractive perennial with a cluster of
basal leaves and stems either erect or spreading near the ground before turning
upwards at the upper stems. The stems are often purplish at the base and 5-30
cm tall. The herbage consists of fine, gray or whitish hairs, closely appressed
to the stems and leaves. The basal leaves are triple-nerved with linear to narrowly
oblanceolate blades, the tips acute and the lower blade tapering gradually to
an indistinct petiole. The basal leaves range from 8-16 cm long. The several
stem leaves are reduced in size upwards on the stem.
The flower heads are solitary or as many three, each on long
peduncles. The 20-50 ray flowers are white or occasionally bluish in color and
range from 5-11 mm long and1-3 mm wide. The central disk is yellowish. The involucre
ranges from 5-8 mm high with many linear acute or acuminate tipped bracts, sometimes
tipped with purple.
Varieties of Eaton's Daisy Found East of the Cascade Mts.:
Eaton's Lavender Daisy: var. lavandulus - Found in the Wallowa Mts. and in northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington.
Plantain-leaved Daisy: var. plantagineus (formerly Erigeron decumbens ssp. robustior) - Found from the southern Cascade Mts east to southern Lake County.
Eaton's Shaggy Daisy, Eaton's Shaggy Fleabane: var. villosus - Found from the southern Oregon Cascades east to the Steens Mt. and northward across the Blue Mts. of northeastern Oregon into southeastern Washington.
Habitat:
Eaton's shaggy fleabane may be found in dry open woods or on
open woody slopes in the foothills and mountains.
Range:
Eaton's shaggy fleabane may be found from central Washington
south through central Oregon to California and east to northern Wyoming and
south to northern Arizona.
Variety eatonii may be found at the eastern end
of the range of the species, from southwestern Montana, west to southern idaho,
and south through Wyoming to northern Arizona.
Variety plantagineus may be found at the southern
end of the range of the species, from southern Oregon south to California and
east to Nevada.
Variety villosus is found at the northwestern
end of the range of the species, from central Washington east to central Idaho
and south to south-central Oregon.
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The 4 photos above show close-up views of eaton's lavender daisy as seen in prairie in a Washington State Wildlife Area enclosed by Umatilla National Forest Lands along forest road # 44 in southeastern Washington........June 25, 2007.
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The photos above show a close-ups of the involucre, upper stem leaves and narrow basal leaves of Eaton's shaggy fleabane as seen along Forest Road #40 in meadows near Clearwater Lookout, Umatilla National Forest........June 25, 2007.
Note the 3 main veins that run the length of the blade.
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Eaton's shaggy fleabane as seen (left and center) along Forest Road #38-200 in meadows near Spanish Peak, Ochoco National Forest........June 14, 2015. The photo at right shows Eaton's shaggy fleabane as seen on open, rocky slopes between the Mother Lode Trail #808A and the north fork of Brush Creek on Lookout Mountain, Ochoco National Forest........June 25, 2017.
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Eaton's shaggy fleabane as seen along Forest Road #2230 in meadows near Mount Pisgah, Ochoco National Forest........June 14, 2015.
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The photo at left shows Eaton's shaggy fleabane as seen along Forest Road #40 in meadows near Clearwater Lookout, Umatilla National Forest.........June 25, 2007. The photo at right shows Eaton's shaggy fleabane as seen at Boeing Field, Ochoco National Forest......June 17, 2019.
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Additional images of Eaton's shaggy fleabane as seen along Forest Service Road #3517, Wenatchee National Forest.........July 6, 2012.
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Eaton's shaggy fleabane as seen along the Deadman Canyon Trail #1869, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest......July 18, 2019.
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Eaton's shaggy fleabane in bloom along the Lick Creek Trail #1809, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area.......July 17, 2019.
Eaton's shaggy fleabane observed along the South Prong Trail #821, Black Canyon Wilderness......June 16, 2019.
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Eaton's shaggy fleabane (variety villosus) from Dixie Butte, Malheur N.F.......July 4, 2002. Note the
white rays.
Paul Slichter