ASTERACEAE

SUNFLOWER FAMILY

David J. Keil, Family Editor and author, except as specified

Annual to tree
Leaves basal or cauline, alternate to whorled, simple to compound
Inflorescence: 1° inflorescence a head, each resembling a flower, 1–many, generally arrayed in cymes, generally subtended by ± calyx-like involucre; flowers 1–many per head
Flowers bisexual, unisexual, or sterile, ± small, of several types; calyx 0 or modified into pappus of bristles, scales, or awns, which is generally persistent in fruit; corolla radial or bilateral (rarely 0), lobes generally (0)4–5; stamens 4–5, anthers generally fused into cylinder around style, often appendaged at tips, bases, or both, filaments generally free, generally attached to corolla near throat; pistil 1, ovary inferior, 1-chambered, 1-seeded, style 1, branches 2, generally hair-tufted at tip, stigmas 2, generally on inside of style branches
Fruit: achene, cylindric to ovoid, generally deciduous with pappus attached
Genera in family: ± 1300 genera, 21,000 species (largest family of dicots): worldwide. Largest family in CA. Also see tribal key to CA genera: Strother 1997 Madroño 44(1):1–28. See glossary p. 25 for illustrations of general family characteristics.

ERIGERON

FLEABANE DAISY

Guy L. Nesom

Annual to perennial herb (subshrub)
Stems generally erect
Leaves alternate, generally entire
Inflorescence: heads generally radiate, 1–many in loose, panicle-like or flat-topped clusters; involucre hemispheric; phyllaries narrowly lanceolate, in 2–several equal to strongly graded series; receptacle flat to steeply conic, naked, smooth to shallowly pitted
Ray flowers (0) generally 10–many; ligules generally white, pink, or blue (yellow)
Disk flowers many; corollas generally narrowly funnel-shaped, yellow; style tips 0.1–0.8 mm, ± triangular
Fruit 0.5–3 mm, generally ± oblong, compressed to ± cylindric, generally 2-ribbed, generally sparsely hairy; pappus (0) generally of 6–50 longer, inner bristles and shorter outer bristles, narrow scales, or short crown
Species in genus: ± 375 species: wordwide
Etymology: (Greek: early old age)
Reference: [Nesom 1992 Phytologia 72:157–208]

Native

E. clokeyi Cronquist

Perennial 5–20 cm, from stout taproot and (sub)simple caudex, ascending to erect, unbranched; hairs short, stiffly spreading to reflexed, glandless
Leaves: basal 2–8 cm, ± oblanceolate; cauline not clasping, generally strongly reduced by mid-stem
Inflorescence: head 1, 8–12 mm diam; phyllaries ± equal, sessile-glandular, hairs short, stiffly spreading to reflexed
Ray flowers 25–55; corollas 6–11 mm, ligules white to blue, reflexed
Fruit: pappus bristles 13–22
Chromosomes: 2n=18
Ecology: Sagebrush scrub to alpine talus
Elevation: 2200–3400 m.
Bioregional distribution: s High Sierra Nevada, East of Sierra Nevada, Desert Mountains
Distribution outside California: to Utah
Flowering time: Jun–Sep
Horticultural information: TRY; DFCLT.