Erigeron philadelphicus

Philadelphia fleabane
	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Erigeron
Species:	E. philadelphicus
Binomial name
	Erigeron philadelphicus; L.
Synonyms
	Erigeron purpureus Aiton; Tessenia philadelphica (L.) Lunell; Erigeron provancheri Vict. & J.Rousseau, syn of var. provancheri;

Erigeron philadelphicus, the Philadelphia fleabane, is a plant in the family Asteraceae. Also known as common fleabane, daisy fleabane, frost-root, marsh fleabane, poor robin's plantain, skervish,^[3] and in the British Isles as robin's-plantain.^[4] It is native to North America and has been introduced to Eurasia.

Description

E. philadelphicus is a herbaceous plant growing to about 15–76 centimetres (1⁄2–2+1⁄2 feet) tall. The leaves are alternate, simple and up to 15 centimetres (6 inches) long,^[5] on hairy stems. The middle to lower leaves are heart shaped. The flower heads are borne in spring in arrays of as many as 35 heads. Each head may sometimes contain as many as 100 to 150 pink or white ray florets surrounding numerous yellow disc florets. The blooms are less than 2.5 cm (1 in) in diameter. The stem is hairy with rough hairs. Its active growth period is from spring to summer (April to July),^[6]^[7] with flowers until September.^[5]

Flower heads and buds
Close-up of flower heads & buds
Flower heads

Taxonomy

Varieties

Erigeron philadelphicus var. glaber J.K.Henry - British Columbia
Erigeron philadelphicus Linnaeus var. philadelphicus - most of species range
Erigeron philadelphicus var. provancheri (Victorin & J. Rousseau) B. Boivin - Ontario, Québec; New York, Vermont

Etymology

The common name fleabane refers to the antiquated belief that the plants were repellent to fleas.^[5]

Distribution and habitat

The plant is native to North America and found in nearly all of the United States and Canada.^[8] It has also been introduced into Europe and Asia, considered an invasive weed in many places.^[9] It grows on roadsides, in fields, in thickets, and in open woods.^[6]^[7] It benefits from moisture and some shade, as well as disturbances.^[5]

Similar species

There are several other fleabanes in North America that are similar to common fleabane. Hairy fleabane has fewer ray flowers, usually 40 to 60, and its range is limited to the eastern half of the United States and Canada, while common fleabane has 150 or more ray flowers and a much broader range across North America. Prairie fleabane is an annual, rather than a perennial, from 30–90 centimetres (1–3 feet) tall, and it lacks clasping leaves surrounding the stem. Low Erigeron is shorter, only 5–30 centimetres (0–1 foot) tall, and it can have white, pink, or bluish rays. Its range is the western half of North America.^[3]

Ecology

Common fleabane is a larval host for the obscure schinia moth,^[10] and butterflies, bees, and moths pollinate the flowers.^[3]

References

^ The Plant List, Erigeron philadelphicus L.
^ Tropicos, Erigeron philadelphicus L.
^ ^a ^b ^c Erigeron philadelphicus. United States Department of Agriculture NRCS Plant Guide.
^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Spellenberg, Richard (2001) [1979]. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers: Western Region (rev ed.). Knopf. p. 372. ISBN 978-0-375-40233-3.
^ ^a ^b Flora of North America, Erigeron philadelphicus Linnaeus, 1753. Philadelphia fleabane, vergerette de Philadelphie
^ ^a ^b Dickinson, T.; Metsger, G.; Hull, J.; and Dickinson, R. (2004) The ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario. Toronto:Royal Ontario Museum, p. 163.
^ Biota of North America Program 2014 state-level distribution map
^ Altervista Flora Italiana, Cespica di Philadelfia Erigeron philadelphicus L. includes photos and line drawings
^ "HOSTS - The Hostplants and Caterpillars Database at the Natural History Museum". www.nhm.ac.uk. Retrieved 28 September 2022.

External links

Media related to Erigeron philadelphicus at Wikimedia Commons
Native Plant Database. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas at Austin http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ERPH. {{citation}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)Error: "Q4115565" is not a valid Wikidata entity ID.

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[1] The Plant List, Erigeron philadelphicus L.

[2] Tropicos, Erigeron philadelphicus L.

[usda-3] Erigeron philadelphicus. United States Department of Agriculture NRCS Plant Guide.

[BSBI07-4] BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.

[:2-5] Spellenberg, Richard (2001) [1979]. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers: Western Region (rev ed.). Knopf. p. 372. ISBN 978-0-375-40233-3.

[:0-6] Flora of North America, Erigeron philadelphicus Linnaeus, 1753. Philadelphia fleabane, vergerette de Philadelphie

[:1-7] Dickinson, T.; Metsger, G.; Hull, J.; and Dickinson, R. (2004) The ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario. Toronto:Royal Ontario Museum, p. 163.

[8] Biota of North America Program 2014 state-level distribution map

[9] Altervista Flora Italiana, Cespica di Philadelfia Erigeron philadelphicus L. includes photos and line drawings

[10] "HOSTS - The Hostplants and Caterpillars Database at the Natural History Museum". www.nhm.ac.uk. Retrieved 28 September 2022.

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