Single Record

Participant Info

Species
Erigeron compositus
Family
Asteraceae
CommonName
alpine daisy
Presence
YES
Status
native
EarliestDate
1900
LatestDate
2021
Ecosystem
montane, subalpine, tundra
Geobotanical
SSawatch, Garitas, SSanjuans, NCristos
Counties
Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Juan
Passes
Grayback, Stony, Wolf Creek
WildlifePreserves
Other Localities
Comments
Erigeron compositus is a mid to high elevation fleabane, not uncommon in the Watershed, found on both east and west mountain ranges, fond of rocky crevices. Its dissected leaves and thick caudex branches are distinctive. It is not recorded from the Culebras, although it may be present there given a collection from the Cristos of the Rio Grande drainage of New Mexico, which marks the south-eastern point of its USA distribution. That distribution covers all states W of the Great Plains as well as far west North and South Dakota. Note that with observation of the roots, E. compositus may be confused with E. vagus, whose leaf tips, however, are more rounded, and whose leaf lobes are much more consistently 3 in number (whereas those of E. compositus range from 1 to 4).