Erigeron vagus
Encyclopedia
Erigeron vagus is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family
known by the common names rambling fleabane and loose daisy.
This mountain wildflower is native to the peaks of the western United States from California
to Colorado
, where it lives on alpine
talus
slopes. This is a small perennial daisy reaching a maximum height of about five centimeters. Its stem and small patch of basal leaves are hairy. The inflorescence
holds a single flower head
with hairy, purple-tipped phyllaries
. The corolla is less than a centimeter wide with a center of golden yellow disc florets and 25 to 35 light pink to white ray florets around the edge.
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
known by the common names rambling fleabane and loose daisy.
This mountain wildflower is native to the peaks of the western United States from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, where it lives on alpine
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
talus
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
slopes. This is a small perennial daisy reaching a maximum height of about five centimeters. Its stem and small patch of basal leaves are hairy. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
holds a single flower head
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
with hairy, purple-tipped phyllaries
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
. The corolla is less than a centimeter wide with a center of golden yellow disc florets and 25 to 35 light pink to white ray florets around the edge.