Lava rayless fleabane

Erigeron foliosus Nuttall var. inornatus A. Gray in W. H. Brewer et al., Bot. California 1: 330. 1876 (as foliosum var. inornatum)

Perennials, 20–70(–90) cm; taprooted, woody. Stems basally decumbent, abruptly erect, usually glabrous or glabrate, rarely sparsely strigose on proximal ¹ / 2 , or hirsutulous proximally and strigose distally, or distally densely hirsutulous (hairs usually ± deflexed, sometimes loosely antrorsely ascending; var. keilii), eglandular. Leaves cauline; blades narrowly oblong-oblanceolate to linear, 20–60 × 2–7 mm, seldom reduced distally, margins entire, faces glabrous, sparsely strigose, or hispid, eglandular. Heads (discoid) (1–)2–15 in corymbiform arrays. Involucres 4.5–6.5 × 7–12 mm. Phyllaries in 3–5 series (margins broad, stramineous, midveins orange, thin), glabrous, usually eglandular, rarely minutely glandular. Ray (pistillate) florets 0. Disc corollas 3.8–4.5 mm (throats slightly indurate, not inflated). Cypselae 2–3 mm, 2-nerved, faces glabrous; pappi: outer of setae, inner of 28–45 bristles.

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora): w United States.