Erigeron vagus
Rambling fleabane
Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native
Rambling fleabane is a California native perennial found in the central Sierra Nevada and White and Inyo Mountains on rocky talus slopes at elevations of 3,300 to 4,400 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces white to pink ray flowers in compact heads 8 to 16 millimeters wide, with rays that curl delicately when dry. Growing as a low, spreading herb only 2 to 5 centimeters tall, it forms a branched caudex with thin, rhizome-like branches and stems that are sparsely hairy. Its distinctive leaves are oblanceolate to spoon-shaped, typically 1 to 3 centimeters long, with three long-obovate lobes at the tip and a fine, glandular pubescence. The plant produces a pappus with 16 to 20 bristles, adapting to its harsh alpine environment with its compact, low-growing form.
Habitat: Talus
Bloom period: Jun-Aug
Elevation: 3300-4400 m
Bioregions: c SNH, W&I
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.