''Erigeron linearis'' is a species of flowering plant in the family

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...

known by the common name desert yellow fleabane or narrow leaved fleabane. It is native to western North America.Calflora taxon report, University of California, ''Erigeron linearis'' (Hook.) Piper, Narrow leaved fleabane, desert yellow fleabane
/ref>

Description

''Erigeron linearis'' is a small clumping perennial herb reaching a maximum height of 20 centimeters (8 inches), with a woody taproot. Its leaves are long and narrow, mostly clustered around the base of the stem, and are long, pale green to green, and lightly covered with short white hairs. The erect lightly hairy flower stems are leafless or have a few reduced linear leaves and usually produce only one

flower head A pseudanthium (Greek for "false flower"; ) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, compos ...

(though occasionally 2 or 3) each about wide. The flower has a center of many golden yellow

disc floret The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...

s and a fringe of as many as 38 pale to bright yellow or cream-colored

ray florets The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...

. The fruit is an achene attached to a fluffy pappus with 10 to 20 bristles. Seeds are presumably wind dispersed.

Distribution and Habitat

''Erigeron linearis'' is native to the mountains of western North America from

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

as far south as

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

, northern

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

and

Mono County Mono County ( ) is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,195, making it the fourth-least populous county in California. The county seat is Bridgeport. The coun ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. The species grows in open rocky slopes associated with the shrubs

sagebrush Sagebrush is the common name of several woody and herbaceous species of plants in the genus ''Artemisia''. The best known sagebrush is the shrub ''Artemisia tridentata''. Sagebrushes are native to the North American west. Following is an alph ...

bitterbrush ''Purshia'' (bitterbrush or cliff-rose) is a small genus of 5–8 species of flowering plants in the family Rosaceae which are native to western North America. Description ''Purshia'' species form deciduous or evergreen shrubs, typically reach ...

juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...

.Flora of North America, ''Erigeron linearis'' (Hooker) Piper, 1906. Desert yellow fleabane
/ref>

Uses

Some

Plateau Indian Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Plateau, also referred to by the phrase Indigenous peoples of the Plateau, and historically called the Plateau Indians (though comprising many groups) are indigenous peoples of the Interior of British Columbia ...

tribes used desert yellow fleabane as a

poultice A poultice, also called a cataplasm, is a soft moist mass, often heated and medicated, that is spread on cloth and placed over the skin to treat an aching, inflamed, or painful part of the body. It can be used on wounds, such as cuts. 'Poultice' ...

for treating sores.

Gallery

Image: Erigeron linearis iNat-49889140.jpg, Closeup of foliage Image: Erigeron linearis iNat-85143571.jpg, Flower bract Image: Erigeron linearis iNat-117820807.jpg, Flowers

References

External links

*
United States Department of Agriculture Plants ProfileCalphotos Photo gallery, University of California
linearis Flora of the Northwestern United States Flora of Western Canada Flora of California Flora of the Great Basin Plants described in 1834 Taxa named by William Jackson Hooker Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Erigeron-stub