Scientific Name : Erigeron abajoensis
Author : Cronq.
NatureServe Explorer
Common Name : Abajo Daisy
Current Research Activities
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Taxonomy
Asteraceae (sunflower family)
Not included in Ackerfield (2015, 2022) or Weber and Wittmann (2012). Reported from the Four Corners region of southwest Colorado (Heil pers. comm. 2012, Heil et al. 2013). Included as a Colorado taxon in Flora of North America. Also occurs in New Mexico and Utah.
Ranks and Status
State Rank : S1
State Rank Reason : Erigeron abajoensis is known from one location in the Four Corners region of southwest Colorado. Threats are not documented.
U.S. Endangered Species Act : none
Colorado Threatened and Endangered List : none
Other Statuses : SWAP SGIN
Description and Phenology
General Description:
Erigeron abajoensis typically grows to six inches tall but varies from two to fourteen inches tall with stems that often recline and then ascend or with stems that are erect. The plant grows with tight, mounded clusters of shortly hairy, oblanceolate basal leaves. Stem leaves tend to be smaller and oblong or lance-oblong. Both basal and stem leaves have a single vein. Phyllaries are in 2 or 3 nearly equal length rows, but you may find them in equal length rows. The phyllaries are thickened in the middle, and often green with tan margins and reddish tips. Hairs on the phyllaries are white and multicellular. Hairs throughout the plant, but especially on and just below the phyllaries, are often crinkled or bent backward at their tip. The buds nod. Rays are often reflexed (bent downward) and vary from 3 to 8 millimeters long and 1 to 1.8 millimeters wide. The width of the rays are unusual for Erigerons which typically have rays about 1 mm wide or even less (Schneider 2023).
Look Alikes:
This species could be confused with Erigeron leiomerus, which almost always has glabrous stems and leaves; Erigeron abajoensis has hairy stems and leaves (Schneider 2023).
Habitat
Rocky, montane meadows (Southwest Colorado Wildflowers).
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Elevation Range:
9,314 - 9,314 feet (2,839 - 2,839 meters)
Distribution
Colorado Endemic:
No
Range:
Erigeron abajoensis is reported from Rampart Hill in the Four Corners region of southwest Colorado, USA (Heil pers. comm. 2012). This species can also be found in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, USA.
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Threats and Management Issues
Specific threats to the Colorado locations are not known. Colorado climate scenarios for 2050 suggest temperature will increase by 3-7 F and precipitation may decrease or increase. The impact to any given rare plant habitat is likely to vary. Long-term monitoring that includes weather and soil moisture data is critical to understanding climate impacts.
References
- Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP). 2023. Biodiversity Tracking and Conservation System (Biotics 5). Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins.
- Heil, K. 2012. Personal communication with NatureServe staff regarding Erigeron abajoensis.
- Heil, K.D., S.L. O'Kane Jr., L.M. Reeves, and A. Clifford, 2013. Flora of the Four Corners Region, Vascular Plants of the San Juan River Drainage; Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, Missouri. 1098 pp.
- Nesom, G.L. Geography of Erigeron abajoensis (Asteraceae). Phytoneuron 2020-52: 1-18.
- Schneider, A. 2023. Wildflowers, Ferns, and Trees of the Four Corners Regions of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. Accessed on-line at http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com.
- Welsh, S.L., N.D. Atwood, S. Goodrich, and L.C. Higgins. (Eds). 2015. A Utah flora, fifth edition, revised 2015. Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, Provo, Utah. 987 pp.
