ERIGERON GLABRATUS

Family and Genus:- See- COMPOSITAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Erigeron acris var. glabratus, Erigeron alpinus,

Erigeron alpinus subsp. glabratus, Erigeron uniflorus subsp. glabratus.

Meaning:- Erigeron (Gr) Early-old-man. A name used by the Greek philosopher

Theophrastus for early flowering fleabanes.

Glabratus (L) Becoming smooth or glabrous.

General description:- Small, ± caespitose perennial.

Stem:-

1) Up to 20(-35) cm.ascending to erect, often weak. Simple or very sparingly

branched.

Leaves:-

1) Basal, up to 5(-7) × 0·6(-0·8) cm. Narrowly spathulate with an attenuate petiole,

sparsely ciliate but otherwise glabrous or almost so.

2) Cauline, up to 10, small, linear.

Flowers:-

1) Capitula, 1-2(-7).

2) Involucre very broadly campanulate.

3) Bracts, rarely more than 0·7 mm wide, with a sparse indumentum,

usually green with a brown centre, rarely lilac distally.

4) Florets, dimorphic, inner hermaphrodite and tubular, the outer female with narrow,

rose-pink ligules up to twice as long as the involucre.

5) Ligules, usually lilac, rarely white.

6) Phyllaries, c. 5 mm, linear-lanceolate, ± pilose.

Key features:

1) Indumentum, variable but short glandular hairs absent.

2) Involucral bracts, sparsely pubescent to almost glabrous, usually green to the

apex.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Rocky limestone slopes at 2200m.

Distribution:- Mountains of mainland Greece from Parnassos to the N borders,

generally at 1700-2400 m. - Mountains of C & S Europe. On Crete currently known

only from a single locality in Lefka Ori.

Flowering time:- June - July.

Photos by:- Courtesy of Wiki-Commons