Erigeron maniopotamicus

Erigeron maniopotamicus is a perennial species with a taproot with cuadex usually simple and usually less than 20cm. Leaves are both basal and cauline with basal leaves persisting through anthesis. The leaves are oblanceolate to spatulate-oblanceolate and 3-10 cm. Leaves are strongly to weakley 3-nerved. Ray florets are 10-12mm long and laminae are white to pinkish or purplish. Disc florets are 3.2-3.8mm long (Nesom and Nelson 2004).

E. maniopotamicus is similar to E. robustior, however, these two species do overlap in range, but are separated by habitat. The former species occurs in barrens and the latter occurs in glades and meadows and lower montane coniferous forest and sometimes in seeps and sometimes in serpentine (Nesom and Nelson 2004). Further, even though the ranges of the species overlaps E. robustior is uncommon in the portion of its range where E. maniopotamicus occurs, and specifically it occurs in loamy soils in openings along the edges of moist fir-oak woods and hasn't been observed near areas where E. maniopotamicus occurs (Nesom and Nelson 2004).

Similarities to other species of Erigeron also exist. E. maniopotamicus is similar to E. eatonii var. plantagineus and these species occurs in close proximity to one another in the northeast corner of Siskyou Co. and Shasta Co., California. They are different in several ways but most readily in habit, including caudex, size and distribution of cauline leaves. In addition, E. maniopotamicus is similar to E. lassenianus in their leafy stems and these species approach one another in northeastern Trinity Co. and Tehama Co (Nesom and Nelson 2004). For a key of species similar to E. manipotamicus see Nesom and Nelson, 2004. SIDA 21(2): 673-678.

Erigeron mainiopotamicus is known from relatively dry barrens, where few other plants occur, at elevations of 1300-1500 m, where it occurs on tan, rocky, non-serpentine soil that is distinct from other regional soils in the area (Nesom and Nelson 2004). The barrens where this species occurs are near stunted woods with mixed conifers of mostly Douglas fir. There are serpentine soils scattered throughout the area but these soils apparently don't influence this Erigeron species .

This species blooms from June through August (Nesom and Nelson 2004). Like most members of the Asteraceae family, Erigeron maniopotamicus seeds have a pappus, which aids in dispersal (Serkanic and Sims 2018).