THE FLEABANES 



Ecigeron species 



May - June Even though wild geraniums may bloom and a few 



Roadsides, fields violets may l)e left, it is a good indication that spring 



is waning when the fleabanes begin to bloom. In pas- 

 tures and sunny places stand up the many-branched heads of these small, 

 daisy-like flowers, the Erigerons. They are slightly fragrant, delicately 

 colored, rather weak and l)rittle of stem. They are the forerunners of 

 hordes of summer Composites whose appearance now and through the 

 sunnner months will increase as the heat grows and the summer days 

 mature. 



Daisy fleabane's flower is a bright yellow, velvety disk of stamens 

 and jjistils surrounded by many line, thready rays. They are so thready 

 and fine that in Philadelphia fleabane {Erigeron i)hiladelphicus) there 

 may be 150 to 200 rays in one small flower. It is. on the whole, an 

 attractive blossom, not especially weedy in appearance, although to most 

 people it is a weed. Children for generations have gathered fleabane 

 "daisies'^ as bouquets for their mothers or for their dolls. 



Means of identifying three of llic ileal)anes r('(|iiir(' close observation. 

 Erigeron annuus one of the few American weeds to be naturalized in 

 Europe, has clasping, tapering leaves; the rays are wliite tinged with 

 pink or lavender and are rather short as compared witb tlic width of the 

 center of the flower. Erigeron pJiiladelphicus is hairy with clasping, hairy 

 leaves which usually are toothed or lol)ed. The rays are very abundant and 

 are rose-purple or pink or white; the buds droop. Erigeron strigos^us is 

 the most slender of the three, with very narrow, alternate leaves. The rays 

 are white, twice the length of the yellow disk center. 



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