Erigeron aphanactis var. aphanactis
Rayless shaggy fleabane
Photo: parent species Erigeron aphanactis · (c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Erigeron aphanactis var. aphanactis (Rayless shaggy fleabane) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by key features: no ray petals, coarsely hairy, sagebrush habitat.
Rayless shaggy fleabane is a California native perennial found in central Sierra Nevada, San Bernardino Mountains, Great Basin, and Desert Mountains in sagebrush or juniper scrub at elevations of 1,300 to 2,600 meters. Flowering from April to September, this plant produces white to pale lavender disk flowers without ray flowers, creating unique clustered heads. Growing with branched stems generally splitting in the lower half, it reaches heights typical of small desert perennials. Its leaves are simple and narrow, distributed along the stem with increasing sparseness toward the flowering branches. The plant's distinctive chromosome count of 2n=18 contributes to its specialized adaptation to arid mountain environments.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 48 sympatric species; key features: no ray petals, coarsely hairy, sagebrush habitat
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sagebrush or juniper scrub
Elevation: 1300-2600 m
Bloom period
Erigeron aphanactis var. aphanactis blooms Apr-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Bellis: Erigeron has double-layered pappus (outer scales + inner bristles); Bellis completely lacks pappus.; vs Symphyotrichum: Erigeron has double pappus (2 layers); Symphyotrichum has single layer of uniform bristles.; vs Corethrogyne: Erigeron has simple unbranched stems; Corethrogyne has branched stems.; vs Pseudognaphalium: Erigeron has flat button-like flower heads; Pseudognaphalium has woolly clustered heads without rays.; vs Artemisia: Erigeron has obvious ray petals around yellow disk; Artemisia lacks ray petals entirely.
Frequently asked questions
Is Erigeron aphanactis var. aphanactis native to California?
Yes. Erigeron aphanactis var. aphanactis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Erigeron aphanactis var. aphanactis bloom?
Erigeron aphanactis var. aphanactis blooms Apr-Sep.
What plant family does Erigeron aphanactis var. aphanactis belong to?
Erigeron aphanactis var. aphanactis is in the Asteraceae family, genus Erigeron.
What habitat does Erigeron aphanactis var. aphanactis grow in?
Erigeron aphanactis var. aphanactis grows in Sagebrush or juniper scrub.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.