| Asteraceae |
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 GRIERSON_jpg.jpg)
Erigeron caucasicus STEV. subsp. venustus (BOTSCH.) GRIERSON |
 Erigeron caucasicus STEV. subsp. venustus (BOTSCH.) GRIERSON |
Erigeron L. |
| E. caucasicus Stev. in Mem. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 4:63 (1813). Perennial with sparsely to densely pilose indumentum sometimes intermixed with glandular hairs. Stems ± erect, 5-35 cm, simple or branched above. Basal leaves oblanceolate or spathulate, 2-15x0.5-1.5 cm, acute or obtuse at apex, attenuate to subpetiolate at base, margins entire; cauline leaves lanceolate or ovate, 1-7x0.3-1.5 cm, narrowed or rounded and semi-amplexicaul at base. Capitula solitary or several (up to 6) in loose corymbs. Involucre 1.75-2.25 cm broad, green or purplish-tinged, sparsely to densely pilose, sometimes glandular; phyllaries linear-lanceolate, acuminate, 6-10x0.75 mm. Ray flowers 70-200, mauve-pink or white; ligules 5-15 x 0.4-1.5 mm. Disc corollas 3.5-5 mm. Achenes 2.5-3 mm, pubescent. Pappus brownish, 3.5-5 mm. Fl. 6-8. Rocky (often limestone) slopes and screes, 1620-4385 m. 1. Ligules 5-6(-10) x 0.4-0.5(-0.75) mm, generally inrolled; capitula usually several, less often solitary; cauline leaves usually ovate subsp. caucasicus 1. Ligules (6-)8-15 x 1-1.5 mm, usually flat; capitula often solitary; cauline leaves usually lanceolate subsp. venustus subsp. venustus (Botsch.) Grierson, in Notes R.B.G. Edinb. 33:430 (1975). Syn: Aster pulchellus Willd., Sp. Pl. 3:2019 (1803); Erigeron pulchellus (Willd.) DC, Prodr., 5:287 (1836), non Michx. fil. (1803); E. pulchellus Willd.) DC. var. leucactis Boiss., Fl. Or. 3:164 (1875)! E. venustus Botsch. in Not. Syst. (Lenin-grad) 16:387(1954). Described from Armenia (B-Willd. 15842, photo!). N. & E. Anatolia. A4 Kastamonu: N. side of Ilgaz Da., 2200 m, D. 38371! A5 Kastamonu: Tosya, Sint. 1892:3778! A6 Sivas: Yildiz Da., 1800-2300 m, Sorger 69-58-30! A7 Gümüşane: Kop Da., 2285 m, Balls 1775! A8 Rize: Verçinin Tepe, 3000-3200 m, D. 21146! A9 Çoruh: d. Ardanuç, Kordevan Da., 2700 m, D. 30400! B7 Tunceli: Munzur Da., 2700 m, T. Bay top (ISTE 23178)! B8 Erzurum: Palandöken Da., 20-23 km from Çat to Erzurum, 2300-2350 m, D. 47339! B9 Bitlis: Süphan Da., 3200 m, Stileman 14! B10 Ağri: Ağri Da., 2745 m, B.Post 2107! C9 Van: d. Çatak, Kavuşşahap Da., 3200 m, D. 23094! C10 Hakkari: Cilo Da., 3655 m, D. 24151! N.W. Iran. Most specimens from the S.E. part of this subspecies' range (B9, C9, C10) are small plants less than 15 cm tall (rarely as little as 3 cm), some of . which are found at considerable altitudes (e.g. B9 Bitlis: Süphan Da., up to 4385 m, Stileman 39!). Dwarf plants are, however, not confined to this area; Sint. 3778 (A5 Kastamonu) is less than 10 cm tall. The following specimens appear to be intermediate between the two subspecies: A7 Gümüşane: Stavri (Istavri), 3220 m, Balls 450a! A8 Rize: Cermanin Tepe above Cimil, 3100 m, D. 21079! A9 Kars: Yağmurlu Da. between Sarikamiş and Karaurgan, 2300 m, D. 30809! B10 Kars: Büyük Ağri Da. above Serdar Bulak, 2800 m, D. 46986! Although this is a variable species there is little chance of confusion between it (especially subsp. caucasicus) and E. uniflorus; the former taxon includes larger plants, usually with branched stems, and has finer, less dense indumentum at the base of the phyllaries and on the stems which apparently lack the adpressed hairs of E. uniflorus. Inrolling of the ligules, which has been used by some workers for separating Erigeron species, is probably not always a reliable character and its expression may depend on several factors, not merely the narrowness of the corolla. It is useful in some species (e.g. E. uniflorus) which consistently have short inrolled ligules, but much less so in species such as E. caucasicus which exhibit variation in Iigule width. |