Erigeron rybius (Sacramento Mountain Fleabane)
Family
ASTERACEAE
Synonyms
NONE
Common Name
Sacramento Mountain Fleabane
| USFWS | State of NM | USFS | BLM | Navajo Nation | State Rank | Global Rank | R-E-D Code | NMRPTC Status | Strategy Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S3 | G3 | 1-1-3 | R | SS |
| Documented Threats |
|---|
No Information |
Description
Perennial herb arising from slender woody rhizomes; stems erect, to 3.5 dm tall; basal leaves obovate to oblanceolate 1.8-13.5 cm long, 6-27 mm wide, serrate with small shallow teeth, tapering at the base to a winged petiole; stem leaves similar, becoming gradually smaller and sessile above; flower heads 1-6 per stem on stalks 1-3 cm long; involucral bracts narrowly lanceolate, in three equal series, sparsely to densely pubescent; ray flowers 45-100 per head, white (occasionally drying lilac), 11-20 mm long; achenes oblong, laterally compressed but plump, sparsely appressed-hairy; pappus of 20-30 slender bristles. Flowers July to September.
Similar Species
Other leafy-stemmed Erigeron species in the Sacramento Mountains do not have slender rhizomes.
Distribution
New Mexico, northern Otero and southern Lincoln counties, Sacramento and White mountains.
Habitat
Meadows and forest openings in lower and upper montane coniferous forests; 2,100-2,800 m (7,000-9,200 ft).
Remarks
This narrow endemic was only recently distinguished from Erigeron rusbyi, which has a thickened taproot and occurs in southwestern New Mexico and adjacent Arizona.
Conservation Considerations
Often occurs in forest openings created by roads. It is locally abundant and not significantly threatened by the land uses within its habitats.
Important Literature
*New Mexico Native Plants Protection Advisory Committee. 1984. A handbook of rare and endemic plants of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque.
*Nesom, G.L. 1982. Systematics of the Erigeron rusbyi group (Asteraceae) and delimitation of sect. Peregrinus. Systematic Botany 7(4):457-470.
Information Compiled By
Robert Sivinski 1999
For distribution maps and more information, visit Natural Heritage New Mexico