Garrett’s fleabane

Erigeron controversus Greene

Perennials, (3–)5–23 cm; taprooted, caudex branches lignescent, apparently elongate. Stems erect, sparsely strigillose to glabrate, eglandular. Leaves mostly basal (persistent); blades oblanceolate to spatulate (not folding), 20–70(–120) × 3–13 mm, cauline abruptly reduced distally (bases not clasping), margins entire, sparsely ciliate (apices rounded to acute), faces glabrate or glabrous, eglandular. Heads 1. Involucres 5–8 × 8–17 mm. Phyllaries in 2–3 series (purplish at least at tips), glabrous or sparsely strigillose, densely minutely glandular. Ray florets 20–35; corollas white, drying white or sometimes lilac-tinged, 7–13 mm, laminae coiling. Disc corollas 3.9–5.3 mm. Cypselae 2.5–3 mm, 2(–3)-nerved, faces sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of setae or scales, inner of 13–23 (white-shiny) bristles. 2n = 18.

Flowering Jun–Aug. Moist cliff faces and crevices, mostly limestone, soil among boulders; of conservation concern; 2700–3800 m; Utah.