California Plant Names: Latin and Greek Meanings and Derivations

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Wild Places of Southern California

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Special Topics #19

Aster occidentalis and Machaeranthera canescens


I need to make clear that the pictures of Machaeranthera canescens shown below were
all taken in the San Bernardino Mts. As the Jepson Manual says, this species is extremely
variable and individuals of populations elsewhere may display significant differences. The
Jepson Manual in fact suggests that M. canescens may not even be a distinct taxon from
M. asteroides.

Aster occidentalis var. occidentalis Meadow area en route to Bluff Lake (meadows)

Machaeranthera canescens var. canescens Trail to Dollar Lake (dry trail)

Aster occidentalis var. occidentalis Poopout Meadow (meadows)

Machaeranthera canescens var. canescens Trail to Dry Lake (dry trail)

Aster occidentalis var. occidentalis Horse Meadow (meadows)		Machaeranthera canescens var. canescens Fish Creek (dry trail)

Aster occidentalis var. occidentalis South Fork Meadows (meadows)		Machaeranthera canescens var. canescens Grinnell Ridge (dry trail)

Aster occidentalis var. occidentalis Fish Creek (moist area)		Machaeranthera canescens var. canescens Green Canyon (dry trail)

Aster occidentalis var. occidentalis Upper Fish Creek Meadow (meadows)		Machaeranthera canescens var. canescens South Fork Trail Location #1 (dry trail)

		Machaeranthera canescens var. canescens South Fork Trail Location #2 (dry trail)

Aster occidentalis var. occidentalis Sugarloaf Meadow (meadow)		Machaeranthera canescens var. canescens Upper Fish Creek Trail (dry trail)

Aster occidentalis var. occidentalis Sugarloaf Meadow (meadow)		Machaeranthera canescens var. canescens Upper Fish Creek Trail (dry trail)

Aster occidentalis var. occidentalis Typical habitat		Machaeranthera canescens var. canescens Typical habitat