Erigeron parishii is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names Parish's daisy and Parish's fleabane.
Distribution Erigeron parishii is native to San Bernardino County and Riverside County in southern California.Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution mapCalflora taxon report, University of California, Erigeron parishii A. Gray, Parish fleabane, Parish's daisy, Parish's fleabane It is a federally-listed threatened species losing habitat to development and the limestone mining industry on the north slope of the San Bernardino Mountains.
Description Erigeron parishii is a small perennial herb reaching a maximum height of about . The taproot can penetrate the carbonate soils to a depth of .Sanders, A. C. Erigeron parishii. Bureau of Land Management Its stem and foliage are covered in silvery-white hairs and most of the leaves are basal and measure long.Flora of North America, Erigeron parishii A. Gray 1884. Parish’s fleabane
The erect stems have inflorescences of one to ten flower heads, each between one and two centimeters (0.4-0.8 inches) wide. The flower head has a center of golden yellow disc florets and a fringe of up to 55 lavender, pink, or white ray florets.
Ecology Erigeron parishii usually grows on limestone substrates, or granite topped with a layer of limestone.Erigeron parishii. The Nature Conservancy. It apparently requires very alkaline soils.
Conservation The same rock that the plant favors is also sought after for human use and limestone mining is the most significant threat to its habitat.
Erigeron parishii has a relatively high genetic diversity for a narrow endemic, a measure that will decrease with the habitat fragmentation that currently threatens it.Neel, M. C. and N. C. Ellstrand. (2001). Patterns of allozyme diversity in the threatened plant Erigeron parishii (Asteraceae). Am J Bot 88 810.
References
External links Jepson Manual Treatment — Erigeron parishii United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile: Erigeron parishii US Fish & Wildlife Service, Conserving the Nature of America, Local Rare Plants (1997) Erigeron parishii — Calphotos Photo gallery, University of California