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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 – 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
 
Erigeron lonchophyllus can be easily overlooked because of its similarity to other asters and is considered vulnerable.
 
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
 
Height: 10 – 50 cm tall
Roots: fibrous, weak
Stems: branched, leafy, hirsute
Leaves: basal and cauline; basal leaves to 15 cm long, to 12 mm wide, oblanceolate to spatulate; cauline leaves alternate, sessile, linear, long and conspicuous, sometimes exceeding lower heads of inflorescence, sparsely to moderately hirsute, margin entire
Inflorescence: heads several in racemose cluster; peduncles hairy, not glandular; phyllaries in 2 imbricate rows, 4 – 8 mm high, outer series shorter than inner, light green, may be purplish at tip, hispid or villous but not glandular
Flowers: ligulate florets 2 – 3 mm long, 0.2 to 0.5 mm wide, white or pink; rayless pistillate flowers absent
Fruits: achenes 2-nerved; pappus single, bristles 20 – 30, equalling or surpassing disc corolla, white to yellowish, may have a few outer setae
 
ERIGERON SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN
 
1 Leaves dissected
E. compositus
1 Leaves not dissected
2
   
2 Rays absent or inconspicuous (< 6 mm; if longer than 6 mm, < 1 mm wide)
3
2 Rays present (> 6 mm)
9
   
3 Involucre glabrous
Conyza canadensis var. canadensis
3 Involucre pubescent and/or glandular
4
 
4 Involucre glandular, may be sparsely pubescent
5
4 Involucre pubescent, but not glandular
6
 
5 Several to many heads; densely glandular involucre
E. acris ssp. politus
5 Head solitary; somewhat glandular involucre
E. acris ssp. debilis
 
6 Pappus double
7
6 Pappus single
8
 
7 Phyllary hairs flattened, stem hairs appressed
E. strigosus var. septentrionalis
7 Phyllary hairs terete, stem hairs appressed to ascending
E. strigosus var. strigosis
 
8 Leaves shorter than peduncles of flower heads; inflorescence corymbose, occasionally solitary; rayless pistillate flowers present between ray and disc flowers
E. elatus
8 Leaves sometimes exceeding lower heads in inflorescence; inflorescence racemose; occasionally solitary; rayless pistillate 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 Cauline leaves present; flowers yellow or purple (if white, leaves 3 – 7 cm long)
11
 
11 Leaves 3 – 7 cm long, with 1 – 3 cauline leaves; flowers yellow to white or lavender
E. ochroleucus var. scribneri
11 Leaves 1 – 3 cm long, many cauline leaves; flowers purple
E. hyssopifolius
 
12 Stems scapose or subscapose
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 auriculate
E. philadelphicus var. philadelphicus
15 Leaves not clasping or auriculate
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 caudex, tough rhizome, or thick taproot
18
17 With neither deep-well developed rhizomes nor woody caudices, at most a short rhizome or stolons
19
 
18 Caudex; 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