Robin's Plantain

Perennials, 15–60 cm; rhizomatous, fibrous-rooted, primary rhizomes relatively slender, producing slender, herbaceous, scale-leaved, stoloniform rhizomes (rhizomes often not collected). Stems erect to ascending (usually abruptly dilated proximal to heads), villous (more densely so on proximal ¹ / 2 ), eglandular. Leaves basal (persistent) and cauline; basal blades oblanceolate to obovate or suborbiculate, subspatulate, 20–130(–180) × 6–30(–50) mm, cauline gradually reduced distally (bases clasping and slightly auriculate), margins usually dentate to denticulate, rarely entire, faces sparsely to moderately hirsute to hirsuto-villous, sometimes glabrate or glabrous (especially adaxially), eglandular. Heads 1–4(–9). Involucres 5–7 × 6–20 mm. Phyllaries in 2–3(–4) series, sparsely to moderately hirsute to hirsuto-villous (cross walls not distinctly colored), minutely glandular to stipitate-glandular. Ray florets 50–80(–100); corollas light blue to purplish, pink, or white, 6–10 mm, laminae coiling tardily at tips. Disc corollas 4.5–6 mm. Cypselae 1.3–1.8 mm, 2(–4)-nerved, faces sparsely strigose to glabrate or glabrous; pappi: outer 0 or of setae, inner of (22–)28–36 bristles.

Erigeron pulchellus, the Robin's plantain, blue spring daisy or hairy fleabane, is a North American species of plants in the family Asteraceae. It is widespread across much of the United States and Canada from Québec and Ontario south as far as eastern Texas and the Florida Panhandle.

Erigeron pulchellus is a perennial herb up to 60 cm (2 feet) tall, spreading by means of underground rhizomes. It produces 1-9 flower heads per stem, each head containing sometimes as many as 100 white, pink, pale blue, or pale purple ray florets surrounding many yellow disc florets. The species grows in forests, roadsides, and the banks of bodies of water.

Varieties Erigeron pulchellus var. brauniae Fernald - Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia Erigeron pulchellus var. pulchellus - most of species range Erigeron pulchellus var. tolsteadii Cronquist - Minnesota