Hoary fleabane

Erigeron phoenicodontus S. F. Blake

Perennials, 5–35 cm; taprooted, caudex branches relatively thick, usually retaining old leaf bases. Stems erect, densely white strigoso-canescent, eglandular. Leaves mostly basal (persistent , ± erect; leaf bases broadened or not, not thickened and whitish-indurate); blades linear-oblanceolate to oblanceolate, 20–100 × 2–5(–7) mm, cauline sharply reduced or 0 (restricted to proximal ¹ / 4 – ¹ / 2 ), margins entire , faces densely white strigoso-canescent, eglandular. Heads 1(–4). Involucres 5–7 × 9–16 mm. Phyllaries in 3–4 series, densely hirsute to strigoso-hirsute, minutely glandular. Ray florets 20–50(–70); corollas white to light blue, 7–12 mm, laminae reflexing, sometimes tardily. Disc corollas 3.7–5.6 mm. Cypselae (nearly terete,) 2.8–3.5 mm, (8–)10–14-nerved, faces glabrous; pappi: outer of setae or bristles, inner of 24–36 bristles. 2n = 18.

Flowering May–Jul(–Aug). Dry hills, grasslands, often in gravelly or shaley soil, sagebrush, pinyon-juniper, pine-oak, oak; 1700–2700 m; Ariz., Colo., Kans., Nebr., N.Mex., Okla., S.Dak., Utah, Wyo.; Mexico (Chihuahua).