Muir's fleabane facts for kids

Erigeron muirii, also called Muir's fleabane, is a special and rare flowering plant. It belongs to the daisy family. This plant grows in the very cold Arctic regions. You can only find it in northern Alaska and the northern Yukon Territory in Canada. This includes Herschel Island in the Arctic Ocean. It likes to grow in places like tundra, dry hillsides, and rocky areas.

What is Muir's Fleabane?

Muir's fleabane is a small plant that lives for many years. It usually grows to be about 12 centimeters (5 inches) tall. The plant is covered in thick, woolly hairs. These hairs make it look gray-green. It spreads by using underground stems called rhizomes.

What Does Muir's Fleabane Look Like?

Each stem of the plant usually has just one flower head. This flower head looks a lot like a daisy. It can have up to 100 petal-like 'ray florets'. These ray florets surround many small, yellow 'disc florets' in the center.

How Was Muir's Fleabane Discovered?

The famous nature lover John Muir found this plant. He discovered it near Cape Thompson, Alaska in 1881. This was during one of his trips. Muir sent the plants he collected to his friend. His friend was a plant scientist named Asa Gray. Gray realized that this Erigeron was a brand new type of plant. He decided to name it in honor of John Muir.