Engelmann's Aster
Doellingeria engelmannii (D. C. Eaton) Semple, Brouillet & G.A. Allen is native to open coniferous forests and montane and subalpine meadows from British Columbia and Alberta south to Nevada, Utah and Colorado (; G.A. Allen et al., Syst. Bot. 44: 940. 2019.).  The species is distinguished by its 50–150 cm tall stems, 5–10 cm, elliptic to lanceolate leaves, either glabrous and eglandular, or abaxially somewhat glandular and/or villous), and white to pink rays. The species is diploid (2n=18).
The species was first described as thea variety Aster elegans (Nutt.) T. & G. var. engelmannii D.C. Eaton, then raised to species level Aster engelmannii (D.C. Eaton) A. Gray, then placed in the genus EucephalusÌý²¹²õÌýEucephalus engelmannii (D.C. Eaton) Greene, then transfered to Doellingeria based on DNA analysis.
Morphs of D. engelmannii from the Cascade Mountains with more densely pubescent leaves on the under faces may indicate intergradation with D. ledophyllus (Allen 2006 FNA).
1-2. Habitats and habit, Semple et al. 9246, Salt Lake Co., Utah. 3. Flowering shoot, Teton Pass, Wyoming. 4-5. Flowering heads, Semple 11282, Teton Co., Wyoming and Glacier Natl. Park, Montana. 6. Fruit, Semple & Chmielewski 8877, Wasatch Co., Utah. 7. Clavate ends of inner pappus bristles, Semple et al. 5786, Jackson Co., Colorado.Â
Allen, G.A., L. Brouillet, J.C. Semple, H.J. Guest, and R. Underhill. 2019. Diversification of the North American Doellingeria-EucephalusClade (Astereae: Asteraceae) as inferred from molecular and morphological evidence. Syst. Bot. 44(4): 930-942.
Last updated 27 March 2025 by J.C. Semple
© 2025 J.C. Semple, including all photographs unless otherwise indicated