Erigeron pumilus explained

Erigeron pumilus, the shaggy fleabane, or vernal daisy, is a hairy North American species of perennial plants in the family Asteraceae.^[1] It is widespread across much of western Canada and the western United States, from British Columbia east to Saskatchewan and south as far as Oklahoma and the San Bernardino Mountains of California.^{[2] [3]} There have been reports of the plant growing in Yukon Territory, but these were based on misidentified specimens.^[4]

Erigeron pumilus is a perennial herb up to 50 cm (20 inches) tall with a thick taproot. Leaves and stems are both covered with many stiff hairs. Flower heads usually come in groups of 1-5 heads, but occasionally in large arrays of as many as 50. Each head has 50–100 white or pink (rarely pale blue) ray florets surrounding many yellow disc florets. The species grows mostly on dry slopes and plains, often among sagebrush or in prairies.^[5]

"Pumilus" means "dwarf", referring to the small size of this hairy little plant.^[1]

Varieties^{[5] [3]}

• Erigeron pumilus var. intermedius (Cronquist) Cronquist - British Columbia, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
• Erigeron pumilus var. pumilus - Alberta, Saskatchewan, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, the Dakotas, Washington, Wyoming

Notes and References

1. Canyon Country Wildflowers, Damian Fagan, 2nd ed., 2012, Morris Bush Publishing, LLC. in cooperation with Canyonlands Natural History Association,
2. http://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Erigeron%20pumilus.png Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
3. http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=9920 Calflora taxon report, University of California, Erigeron pumilus Nutt., shaggy fleabane
4. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250068367 Flora of North America, Erigeron pumilus Nuttall var. pumilus
5. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250066661 Flora of North America, Erigeron pumilus Nuttall, Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 2: 147. 1818. Shaggy fleabane