Erigerons have yellow disk flowers and numerous narrow ray flowers that are white, pink, or purple (but not yellow).  They grow from the semi-desert to the subalpine regions and although a few are uncommon, most are very common.

      In 1753 Linnaeus gave the genus its name from the Greek "eri" ("early") + "geron" ("old man", as in "geriatrics", the study of old age processes and problems).  Perhaps the Greek name refers to characteristics of some now unknown plant or perhaps it refers to the early flowering of many species and to the bristly pappus of the developing seed, or perhaps to the puffy, grizzled appearance of the mature seed head.

Foothills, montane, subalpine.  Meadows.  Summer.
The Meadows below El Diente, August 1, 2008.

Erigeron formosissimus can cover extensive areas, as the photograph above shows.  Plants are in such masses because they emerge from spreading underground roots.  Most basal clusters of leaves that arise from these roots do not produce flower stems but when they do the stems lean outward  (see bottom center of photograph at left).  Stems eventually grow erect to 6-14 inches tall and are generally topped by just one flower, but they also can have several flower heads that branch from the main stem a few inches below the upper flower.  Stem leaves are appressed and considerably shorter than the basal leaves.  This is a handsome and showy plant which can, from a distance, be confused with a number of other Erigerons.  Take a close look.

The plant was first collected for science by Elmer Wooton in New Mexico and it was named by Edward Greene in 1898.  "Formos" is Latin for "graceful, beautiful" and with the Latin male superlative ending of  "issimus" (feminine is "issima" and neuter is "issimum") the word "formosissimus" means "most graceful and beautiful".

Foothills, montane, subalpine.  Meadows.  Summer.
The Meadows below El Diente, August 1, 2008.

As is true of almost all Erigerons, this Erigeron has numerous, very narrow ray flowers and even-length phyllaries.  Notice that these phyllaries are slightly curved back at their tips, slightly purple, slightly hairy, and slightly glandular (sticky) as evidenced by the sand particles clinging to the phyllaries.

Foothills, montane, subalpine.  Meadows.  Summer.
Lone Mesa State Park, August 4, 2008.
The Meadows below El Diente, August 1, 2008.

Basal leaves (immediate left top photograph) are often in closely packed masses, and they are cupped inward, several inches long, and often vertical.

Stem leaves are also often vertical, shorter than the basal leaves, and sessile (stemless).

Range map © John Kartesz,
Floristic Synthesis of North America

State Color Key

Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state

County Color Key

Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Native species, but adventive in state
Eradicated
Questionable presence

Range map for Erigeron formosissimus