Erigeron quercifolius

Erigeron quercifolius Lam.

Common Names: Family: Asteraceae

Family: Asteraceae

Habit: Erigeron quercifolius is a perennial herb up to 50 cm in height (usually less) Plants with leaves in a basal rosette until flowering time. Leaves then arranged alternately, obovate to oblanceolate at base transitioning to smaller closer to the inflorescence, to 12 cm in length and 4 cm wide, with pubescence or glabrous.

There are both perfect and imperfect (carpellate) flowers in the heads.The heads are subtended by a series of involucral bracts (phyllaries). The perfect (disc) flowers are in the center and the imperfect (ray) flowers are arranged around the edge of the heads. Each flower is subtended by a bract.  The pubescent heads are individual on a scape. The calyx is modified as a ring of small projections (pappus).

The incomplete, imperfect, zygomorphic flowers have 3 white fused petals and no stamens. The complete, perfect, actinomorphic flowers have a corolla with 5 fused, yellow petals.  There are 5 stamens fused at their base. In both types of flowers, the ovary is inferior with a single locule but only the imperfect flowers have functional ovules.  The fruit is an achene at maturity that retains the modified calyx (pappus).

Habitat: Erigeron quercifolius grows in Pine Woodlands, Sabal palmetto flats, wet areas, and Human Altered environments (yards, roadsides, fields).

Distribution: Erigeron quercifolius occurs throughout the northern islands of the Lucayan Archipelago, and the southern United States.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Erigeron quercifolius is not known to be used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago.