Erigeron speciosus

From Puget Prairie Plants
  • Scientific Name: Erigeron speciosus
  • Family: Asteraceae
  • Common Names: showy daisy, showy fleabane, splendid fleabane
  • Synonyms/Misapplications: Erigeron subtrinervis, Erigeron subtrinervis, Stenactis speciosa
  • Codon: ERISPE

Photo by Rod Gilbert, 2005. Also featured on Main Page.

Taxonomy

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Subkingdom: Viridiplantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Spermophytina
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Asteranae
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Erigeron L.
Species: Erigeron speciosus (Lindl.) DC
Synonyms
  • Erigeron conspicuus Rydb.
  • Erigeron macranthus Nutt.
  • Erigeron subtrinervis ssp. conspicuus (Rydb.) Cronquist
  • Erigeron speciosus var. macranthus (Nutt.) Cronquist
  • Erigeron speciosus var. speciosus (Lindl.) DC.
  • Erigeron subtrinervis var. conspicuus (Rydb.) Cronquist
  • Erigeron speciosus var. conspicuus (Rydb.) Breitung
  • Erigeron speciosus var. typicus Cronquist

[1]

Description

Perennial herb growing from a woody caudex with blue to white terminal pseudanthia, growing to 80 cm tall.[2] Roots fibrous, rhizomatous.[3] Leaves cauline, glabrous, 3-nerved,[2] lower are ligulate-acute to spatulate, petiolate, upper becoming lanceolate and sessile.[4] Pseudanthia radiate, terminally clustered in groups of 1-13;[2] phyllaries narrow,[5] in 2-3(4) rows;[3] ray florets 65-150, light purple to blue (white), 9-18 mm long;[2] disk florets yellow, 4-5 mm;[5] pappus bristles 20-30;[5] ovaries inferior, becoming 2-nerved achenes.[2]

Bloom Period

June-August[2]

Distribution

Distributed across Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, inland to Nevada, Arizona, the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.[2]

Habitat

Low to mid-elevation prairies and forest openings.[2]

Uses

Use of decoction by the Ramah Navajo people as a contraceptive and to treat menstrual pain.[6]

Propagation

Native Plant Network Propagation Protocol

Seed

Seed sample from 2011 Average Measurement: 1.9 x 0.7 x 0.3 Measurement Range: L: 1.6 – 2.25, W: 0.4 – 0.8, D: .2 – 0.4 Latitudinal Cross Section: elliptical Longitudinal Cross Section: elliptical Shape: Seed narrowed at dimpled hilum, broadening at pappus end. Additional Structure: Seeds have pappus of white hairs 2 -3 times the length of the seed body, arranged in a circular pattern around apex opposite hilum. Color: Seeds brown, hilum and pappus white. Surface: Hilum smooth, seed body lightly hairy, pappus finely barbed.

Photo Gallery

References

  1. Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved from https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=35950
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 WTU Herbarium, Burke Museum, & University of Washington. Retrieved from https://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Erigeron%20speciosus
  3. 3.0 3.1 Flora of North America. Retrieved from http://dev.floranorthamerica.org/Erigeron_speciosus
  4. Bowcutt, F., & Hamman, S. (2016). Vascular Plants of the South Sound Prairies. p. 72.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Hitchcock, C. L., Cronquist, A., Giblin, D., & Legler, B. et al. (2018). Flora of the Pacific Northwest: an illustrated manual. Seattle: University of Washington Press. pp. 569-574.
  6. Native American Ethnobotany Database. Retrieved from http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Erigeron+speciosus