Utah Daisy

Erigeron utahensis var. utahensis

Family: Asteraceae (A Utah Flora – Compositae) – Sunflower Family

Perennial herbs, some shrubs; stems 4” to 2' (10 to 60 cm) tall

Leaves: basal and upper leaves alternate; simple; 0.6” to 4” (1.5 to 10 cm) long, 0.04” to 0.24” (1 to 6 mm) wide

Flowers: 10 to 40 blue, pink, or white ray flowers 0.16” to 0.72” (4 to 18 mm) long, 0.04” to 0.108” (1 to 2.7 mm) wide; yellowish disk flowers; flower head appears to be a single flower, but is composed of several flowers (a composite).

Pollinators: other Erigeron species are pollinated by bees, moths and butterflies

Fruits: achene – 1 seeded with hard shell

Blooms in Arches National Park: April, May, June, July, August

Habitat in Arches National Park: desert shrub and pinyon-juniper communities

Location seen: park road mile 0 to 2.5, Moab Fault overlook, Fiery Furnace, Winter Camp wash

Other: The genus name, “Erigeron”, is from Greek “eri” which means “early” and “geron” which means “old man” because this plant blooms early in the year and the seed's bristles resembles an old man's gray hair. The species name, “utahensis”, means “of or from Utah” in recognition that the type specimen was collected near Kanab, Utah.

This family is the most advanced and complex of the dicots. The family is rich in oils and resins and is found in every part of the world, but is infrequent in the tropical rainforest. Aquatic or semi-aquatic species are also uncommon.