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Back to: Plants at Risk in Saskatchewan
Erigeron radicatus Hook.
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TAXONOMY
 
Family: Asteraceae or Compositae
Genus: Erigeron
 
Species Synonyms: none
Common Names: dwarf fleabane
taproot fleabane
 
DISTRIBUTION
 
Canada: Alberta – southwestern Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan: southwestern Saskatchewan; Cypress Hills – Wood Mountain, Rockglen
Ecoregion: Cypress Upland, Mixed Grassland
 
HABITAT
 
Saskatchewan: sandy dry soil or eroded, often cobbly grassland slopes and flats
Associated species: alpine golden buckwheat, broomweed, buttecandle, cutleaf daisy, field chickweed, great plains bladderpod, little rose, rubberweed, poverytweed, rabbitbrush, rush aster, tufted evening primrose, waxleaf penstemon, wild parsley
 
RARITY STATUS
 
Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):
Vulnerable
Nature Conservancy Status:
G3 N2 S2
Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:
None
COSEWIC Status:
Not at risk
 
Dwarf fleabane is somewhat regionally restricted to the southwest corner of the province. Some populations are small and may be vulnerable to changes in habitat due to agriculture or development.
 
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
 
* Erigeron radicatus may intergrade with E. ochroleucus var. scribneri. The caudex is well-developed in E. ochroleucus but not in E. radicatus.
 
Height: 3 – 10 cm tall
Roots: taproot deep
Stems: with few reduced stem leaves or basal leaves, hairs short and stiff
Leaves: mostly basal, occasionally few reduced stem leaves; basal leaves 1 – 3.5 cm long, 1 – 2 mm wide, linear to narrowly lance-shaped, hairless to finely hairy at base, margins hairy; stem leaves if present, 2 – 3, linear, hairy
Inflorescence: heads few to solitary, to 1.2 cm across; bracts ~ 5 mm long, lance-shaped to oblong or elliptic, greyish, short-hairy, margin dry
Flowers: ray flowers 20 – 50, 5 – 8 mm long, to 2 mm broad, white; disc flowers yellow
Fruits: pappus double, inner series of 6 – 12 fragile bristles, outer series of fine 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