Wall Daisy & Soldier IDs

[KeenTeen17]

I saw this diasy growing out of the wall in York next to the river. It seemed to be a creeping plant rather than growing tall. The leaves seem a bit wrong to me for common daisy



Also is this gallant or shaggy soldier

[KeenTeen17]

I'll look at the leaves with my hand lens and report back how hairy they are.

[davidbr]

The daisy is Mexican Fleabane, Erigeron karvinskianus, quite a frequent town escape these days especially in the south-west, and I've seen them flowering at the start of December in Bristol so in shelter it might well keep going all year

[leifus]

Originally Posted by davidbr

The daisy is Mexican Fleabane, Erigeron karvinskianus, quite a frequent town escape these days especially in the south-west, and I've seen them flowering at the start of December in Bristol so in shelter it might well keep going all year

yes I agree here - all round the town here too

and without my book i would lean towards gallant soldier because the leaves dont look too shaggy to me

[Tiggrx]

With the Soldier you will need to look a the scales within the flowerhead. If you take a gone-one flowerhead and pull it to pieces you will find a number of these small scales which will either be three-pointed or not. If it is three-pointed then it will be Gallant-soldier, if not then it will be Shaggy-soldier. The hairiness of the plant is not a reliable character.

[davidbr]

And I'd say the soldier was Galinsoga quadriradiata, Gallant soldier

[KeenTeen17]

Originally Posted by davidbr

And I'd say the soldier was Galinsoga quadriradiata, Gallant soldier

I thought shaggy soldier was G. quadriradiata and gallant was G. parviflora?

thats what it is according to BWF
Soldier, Gallant
Soldier, Shaggy

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by KeenTeen17

I thought shaggy soldier was G. quadriradiata and gallant was G. parviflora?

thats what it is according to BWF
Soldier, Gallant
Soldier, Shaggy

You're right; David has got it confused!

[KeenTeen17]

so are we going with shaggy or gallant or unIDable without the scales

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by KeenTeen17

so are we going with shaggy or gallant or unIDable without the scales

Neither species if you want an accurate ID- because as Tiggrx says the degree of pubescence is an unreliable character + the scales need to be seen!