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Erigeron lonchophyllus Hook.
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TAXONOMY
 
Family: Asteraceae or Compositae
Genus: Erigeron
 
Species Synonyms: Erigeron lonchophyllus var. laurentianus Victorin
Erigeron minor (Hook.) Rydb.
Trimorpha lonchophylla (Hook.) Nesom
Common Names: hirsute fleabane
low meadow fleabane
shortray boreal daisy
shortray fleabane
spearleaf daisy
 
DISTRIBUTION
 
Canada: Yukon Territory – Mackenzie River Delta, Northwest Territories – Saskatchewan, Manitoba, south through British Columbia –Alberta; isolated areas along the James Bay coasts of Ontario and Quebec
Saskatchewan: northern and western Saskatchewan
Ecoregion: Cypress Upland, Mixed Grassland, Moist Mixed Grassland, Aspen Parkland, Boreal Transition, Mid-Boreal Upland, Selwyn Lake Upland
 
HABITAT
 
Saskatchewan: wet soil on shores
 
RARITY STATUS
 
Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):
Vulnerable
Nature Conservancy Status:
G5
Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:
None
COSEWIC Status:
None
 
Hirsute fleabane can be easily overlooked and is considered vulnerable in Saskatchewan.
 
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
 
Height: 10 - 50 cm tall
Roots: fibrous, weak
Stems: branched, leafy, hirsute
Leaves: basal and stem leaves; basal leaves to 15 cm long, to 12 mm wide, inversely lance-shaped to spatula-shaped; stem leaves alternate, sessile, linear, long and conspicuous, sometimes exceeding lower heads of inflorescence, sparsely to moderately stiff hairy, margin entire
Inflorescence: heads several, in unbranched clusters; stalks hairy, not glandular; bracts in 2 overlapping rows, 4 – 8 mm high, outer series shorter than inner, light green, may be purplish at tip, short or long hairy but not glandular
Flowers: ray flowers 2 – 3 mm long, 0.2 to 0.5 mm wide, white or pink; rayless female flowers absent
Fruits: achenes 2-nerved; pappus single, 20 – 30 bristles, equalling or surpassing disc petals, white to yellowish, may have a few outer bristles
 
ERIGERON SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN
 
1 Leaves dissected
E. compositus
1 Leaves not dissected
2
   
2 Rays absent or inconspicuous (< 6 mm, if greater than 6 mm long, < 1 mm wide)
3
2 Rays present (> 6 mm)
9
   
3 Bracts hairless
Conyza canadensis var. canadensis
3 Bracts hairy and/or glandular
4
 
4 Bracts glandular, may be sparsely hairy
5
4 Bracts pubescent, but not glandular
6
 
5 Several to many heads; densely glandular bracts
E. acris ssp. politus
5 Head solitary; somewhat glandular bracts
E. acris ssp. debilis
 
6 Pappus double
7
6 Pappus single
8
 
7 Bract hairs flattened, stem hairs appressed
E. strigosus var. septentrionalis
7 Bract hairs rounded, stem hairs appressed to ascending
E. strigosus var. strigosis
 
8 Leaves shorter than stalks of flower heads; inflorescence branched, occasionally solitary; rayless female flowers present between ray and disc flowers
E. elatus
8 Leaves sometimes exceeding lower heads in inflorescence; inflorescence unbranched; occasionally solitary; rayless female flowers absent
E. lonchophyllos
 
9 Plants < 20 cm high; heads few to solitary
10
9 Plants > 20 cm high; heads 2 – many
12
 
10 Leaves usually basal only; flowers white
E. radicatus
10 Stem leaves present; flowers yellow to white or purple
11
 
11 Leaves 3 – 7 cm long, with 1 – 3 stem leaves; flowers yellow to white or lavender
E. ochroleucus var. scribneri
11 Leaves 1 – 3 cm long, many stem leaves; flowers purple or white
E. hyssopifolius
 
12 Stems without leaves or with bract-like leaves
E. pumilus
12 Stems distinctly leafy, often reduced upwards
13
 
13 Ray florets coloured
14
13 Ray flowers white
16
 
14 Stem leaves largest at the middle of stem
E. hyssopifolius
14 Stem leaves reduced upwards
15
 
15 Leaves clasping and with ear-like lobes
E. philadelphicus var. philadelphicus
15 Leaves not clasping or with ear-like lobes
E. glabellus var. glabellus
 
16 Stem leaves largest at the middle of stem
E. hyssopifolius
16 Stem leaves reduced upwards
17
 
17 Perennial with woody persistent base of stem, tough rhizome, or thick taproot
18
17 With neither deep-well developed rhizomes nor woody stem bases, at most a short rhizome or stolons
19
 
18 Persistent woody base of stem; stem leaves 5 – 7
E. glabellus var. glabellus
18 Thick taproot; stem leaves > 10
E. caespitosus
 
19 Pappus of ray and disc florets unlike (pappus of rays single)
E. annuus
19 Pappus of ray and disc florets alike
E. asper