Erigeron ()
is a large
genus of plants in the composite family (
Asteraceae). It is placed in the tribe
Astereae and is closely related to the Old World asters (
Aster) and the true daisies (
Bellis). The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, and the highest diversity occurs in
North America.
[ Linnaeus, Carl von. 1753. Species Plantarum 2: 863-865 in Latin][ Tropicos, Erigeron L.][ The Plant List, search for Erigeron]
Etymology
Its English name, fleabane, is shared with related plants in several other genera. It appears to be derived from a belief that the dried plants repelled [Frances Perry wrote in Collins Guide to Border Plants (2nd edition, 1956) p.146 that it was reputed to repel insects but that the name referred to a tropical species which has a particularly strong odour] or that the plants were poisonous to fleas.[see Oxford English Dictionary under 'Flea-bane' and under 'Bane' para 2.b. The earliest quotation cited in the O.E.D. is dated 1813 when Humphry Davy in Elements of Agricultural Chemistry stated that the fleabane of Canada had only recently been found in Europe] The generic name Erigeron is derived from the Ancient Greek words ἦρι]] ( êri) "early in the morning" and γέρων]] ( gérōn) "old man", a reference to the appearance of the white hairs of the fruit soon after flowering[Frances Perry: Collins Guide to Border Plants 2nd edition (1956) p.145] The noun γέρων is masculine,
Description
The species may be annual plant, biennial plant, or perennial plant. They are well-branched with erect stems, characterized by their numerous white, lavender, or pink ray and yellow disc flowers. Some members of this group have no ray flowers. The pappus (=modified calyx, forming a crown) is shorter than in Aster and consists of bristles. The ray florets are narrower than in Aster but are longer than the involucre (=whorled ).
Cultivation
Many species are used as , with numerous named such as 'Wayne Roderick', 'Charity', 'Foersters Liebling', and 'Dunkelste aller' ("The darkest of all" with semi-double, deep-violet flower heads).
Ecology
Erigeron species are used as food plants by the of some Lepidoptera species including Bucculatrix angustata, Coleophora squamosella (which feeds exclusively on E. acris), Schinia intermontana, Schinia obscurata (both of which also feed exclusively on Erigeron), Schinia sexata (which feeds exclusively on E. glabellus) and Schinia villosa. Above-ground biomass of Erigeron in montane meadows decreases with decreased water availability/increased temperatures.
Selected species
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew's Plants of the World Online lists around 460 species of plants in the genus ''Erigeron''. Selected species include:
The following names are not accepted in Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew's Plants of the World Online database:
