Erigeron elegantulus

Volcanic daisy, Volcanic Daisy

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Volcanic daisy is a California native perennial herb found in the Modoc Plateau in open, rocky volcanic sites, sagebrush scrub, and juniper woodland at elevations of 1,000 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces white to pink or blue (lavender) ray flowers 6 to 9 millimeters long in solitary heads. Growing as a low-growing herb 3 to 15 centimeters tall with an unbranched stem sparsely covered in minute white appressed hairs, it emerges from a taproot with a slender-branched caudex. Its basal leaves are distinctive, measuring 15 to 50 millimeters long and only 0.5 to 1 millimeter wide, appearing linear to narrowly oblanceolate with a white-shiny, hardened base that partially encircles the stem. The plant produces a pappus with 20 to 30 bristles, contributing to its delicate appearance in volcanic and high desert landscapes.

Habitat: Open, rocky sites, especially in volcanics, sagebrush scrub, juniper woodland

Bloom period: Jun-Jul

Elevation: 1000-2200 m

Bioregions: MP

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.