Al Schneider's Rocky Mountains Plant Descriptions

Coulter's Fleabane
Erigeron coulteri
Aster family (Asteraceae)

Coulter's Fleabane is common in high mountain dry and moist and open Spruce woods. It grows singly, widely scattered, or in large numbers in open woods, usually more densely in sunny open . Each plant generally bears one long-lasting flower. are often withered by flowering time. In late July, August, and into September, Erigeron coulteri is one of the most common white flowers in the mountains. John Coulter collected this plant in Colorado and it was described and named for him by Thomas Porter who, with Coulter, in 1874 authored the first Colorado floral guide, "Synopsis of the Flora of Colorado".


©2009 Keir Morse

Description

Erect , 6-24" tall, with a single white flowerhead at the end of each stem. Flower consists of 50-100 white (1.2-1.7 wide) surrounding button of green-yellow flowers. and stem leaves , , and smooth. hairy, long pointed, all about the same length lined up side by side, not overlapping. Dark and light-colored hairs with visible cell walls when seen under magnification. are sparsely hairy.

Field Marks

Numerous narrow white surrounding yellow ; hairy, side-by-side, not overlapping.

© Al Schneider

ray flowers -- The outer petals of a sunflower or daisy are ray flowers.

A perennial plant lives and blooms for many years.

phyllaries -- Leaflike bracts covering the flowers before opening and remaining under the flower after it opens. Also called "bracts". Only used with the sunflower family (Asteraceae).

mm -- millimeter. About 1/25th of an inch.

A herb is a plant whose stems die back to the ground in the winter.

ray flowers -- The outer petals of a sunflower or daisy are ray flowers.

Bracts are modified leaves associated with a flower.

Involucre is the name given to the circle or spiral collection of bracts around a flower-cluster.

disc flowers are those in the center of a sunflower or daisy. Not a ray flower.

basal -- at the base, situated or attached at the base.

achene -- a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. For example, a rose hip holds a few achenes.

basal leaves -- a leaf that grows lowest on the stem of a plant.

A simple leaf blade is one that is not divided into separate leaflets.

lanceolate -- Lance-shaped. Long, wider in the middle.

meadow -- Large grass and wildflower filled area with few, if any, trees.