About Erigeron quercifolius Lam.
Erigeron quercifolius Lam. plants can be annual, biennial, or perennial. They are well-branched with erect stems, and are characterized by numerous white, lavender, or pink ray flowers alongside yellow disc flowers. Some individuals of this species do not produce ray flowers. The pappus, a modified calyx that forms a crown, is made of bristles and is shorter than the pappus found in Aster species. The ray florets of this species are narrower than those of Aster, but are longer than the involucre, the whorled collection of bracts. In ecology, Erigeron species are eaten as food by the larvae of a number of Lepidoptera species. These include Bucculatrix angustata, Coleophora squamosella which feeds exclusively on E. acris, Schinia intermontana, Schinia obscurata which both feed exclusively on Erigeron, Schinia sexata which feeds exclusively on E. glabellus, and Schinia villosa. In montane meadows, the above-ground biomass of Erigeron becomes lower when water availability decreases and temperatures increase. Many Erigeron species are grown as ornamental plants, and there are numerous named cultivars including 'Wayne Roderick', 'Charity', 'Foersters Liebling', and 'Dunkelste aller' — the latter translates to "The darkest of all" and has semi-double, deep-violet flower heads.
