White doll’s-daisy , asterlike boltonia

Matricaria asteroides Linnaeus, Mant. Pl., 116. 1767

Plants 30–200 mm; stoloniferous. Stems erect. Leaf blades linear or lanceolate to oblanceolate; cauline 20–220 × 2–30 mm, bases not decurrent . Heads usually in corymbiform, sometimes paniculiform arrays, branches spreading to ascending, most bracts leaflike, 15–120 × 2–18 mm. Peduncles 5–220 mm; bracts 0–15, linear to subulate or ovate to oblanceolate, 2–12(–62) mm. Involucres 3–5 × 4–14 mm. Phyllaries in 3–5 series, subulate, linear, lanceolate, or spatulate, subequal, 0–6 merging down peduncles; outer 1.5–3.8 × 0.4–1.6 mm; inner 2.1–4 × 0.3–1.5. Ray florets 20–60; corollas white to lilac, laminae 5–13 mm, tubes 0.5–1.7 mm. Disc florets 65–170; corollas 1.5–2.6 mm. Cypselae obovoid, 1–3 × 0.8–2 mm, wings 0.1–0.5 mm wide; pappi awns 0.4–2 mm (lengths ± ² / 3 cypselae).

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora): North America.

Variety asteroides is restricted to the coastal plain province. Varieties latisquama and recognita occur in the central lowland province and in the highland provinces between it and the coastal plain; var. recognita is also disjunct in Idaho and Oregon.