TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
Annual to tree
Leaves basal or cauline, alternate to whorled, simple to compound
Inflorescence: 1° inflorescence a head, each resembling a flower, 1many, generally arrayed in cymes, generally subtended by ± calyx-like involucre; flowers 1many 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)45; stamens 45, 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):128. See glossary p. 25 for illustrations of general family characteristics.
Annual to perennial herb (subshrub)
Stems generally erect
Leaves alternate, generally entire
Inflorescence: heads generally radiate, 1many in loose, panicle-like or flat-topped clusters; involucre hemispheric; phyllaries narrowly lanceolate, in 2several equal to strongly graded series; receptacle flat to steeply conic, naked, smooth to shallowly pitted
Ray flowers (0) generally 10many; ligules generally white, pink, or blue (yellow)
Disk flowers many; corollas generally narrowly funnel-shaped, yellow; style tips 0.10.8 mm, ± triangular
Fruit 0.53 mm, generally ± oblong, compressed to ± cylindric, generally 2-ribbed, generally sparsely hairy; pappus (0) generally of 650 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 72:157208]
Native |
Perennial 230 cm, from (sub)simple caudex and fibrous roots, unbranched, sparsely and loosely spreading-hairy and glandular
Leaves: basal 27 cm, oblanceolate to spoon-shaped; cauline much reduced
Inflorescence: head 1, 816 mm diam; phyllaries ± equal, blackish purple, tips spreading to reflexed
Ray flowers 30125; corollas 713 mm, ligules blue or pink to white, coiled
Fruit: pappus bristles 1220
Ecology: Alpine meadows, talus
Elevation: 26003700 m.
Bioregional distribution: High Sierra Nevada, East of Sierra Nevada
Distribution outside California: w Nevada
Flowering time: JulAug
Synonyms: E. petiolaris Greene
Horticultural information: DRN, SUN: 1 &IRR: 2, 3, 15, 16, 17, 18; DFCLT.