Sheep Fleabane

Perennials, 5–15 cm; taprooted, caudices multicipital, sometimes with relatively short and thick branches. Stems erect to ascending, densely hirsutulous (hairs deflexed) to spreading-hirsute at least proximally, eglandular. Leaves basal (persistent) and cauline; basal blades sometimes 3-nerved, usually spatulate, sometimes oblanceolate to obovate, 10–40(–70) × 2–7(–13) mm, cauline gradually reduced distally (bases greenish, herbaceous, not thickened), margins entire, densely hirsute to hirsutulous, eglandular. Heads (discoid) 1(–2). Involucres 5.5–8 × 7–14 mm. Phyllaries in 2–3 series, glabrous or sparsely hirtellous, densely minutely glandular. Ray (pistillate) florets 0. Disc corollas 4–5.8 mm. Cypselae ca. 2 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of setae, inner of 15–25 bristles.

Erigeron caespitosus Nuttall subsp. anactis S. F. Blake, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 35: 175. 1922