Lobed Fleabane

Erigeron lobatus is characterized by persistent basal and proximal cauline leaves with rounded to acute lobes, vestiture of stipitate glands and sparse, spreading, hispido-pilose hairs, heads on relatively long, ebracteate peduncles, and broad, thin phyllaries. Erigeron divergens often is similar; its glandularity is not stipitate and its nonglandular hairs are shorter and denser.

Annuals, mostly 10–40(–50) cm; taprooted. Stems erect, sparsely hispido-pilose (hairs spreading, straight, 0.6–2) mm), densely stipitate-glandular. Leaves basal (persistent) and cauline; basal and proximal cauline blades obovate-spatulate, 50–100(–150) × 4–25 mm, cauline gradually reduced (lobing distally), margins pinnatifid or bipinnatifid with (1–)2–4 pairs of rounded to acute lobes, faces sparsely hispido-pilose, stipitate-glandular. Heads 1–5 (peduncles long, ebracteate). Involucres 3–4 × 6–10 mm. Phyllaries in 2–3 series (sometimes basally connate, broad, thin) sparsely hispido-pilose, stipitate glandular. Ray florets 85–110; corollas white, drying dark blue, 6–9 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing. Disc corollas 1.8–2.9 mm. Cypselae 1.2–1.4 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of scales (sometimes connate, forming crowns), inner of 11–12 bristles.

Erigeron lobatus is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name lobed fleabane. It has been found the state of Sonora in northwestern Mexico as well as in the southwestern United States (Arizona, southern Nevada, southeastern Utah).

Erigeron lobatus is a branching annual herb up to 50 centimeters (20 inches) tall, producing a taproot. The leaves are up to 10 cm (4 inches) long, with pinnatifid or bipinnatifid lobes. The plant produces 1-5 flower heads per stem, each head with up to 110 white ray florets surrounding numerous yellow disc florets. The species grows in desert regions, often alongside creosotebush.