Perennial herb or subshrub to 80 cm tall, rhizomatous, hairy. Stems sprawling, branched. Lower leaves ovate to obovate in outline, to 6 cm long, to 3 cm wide, 3-7-lobed, subsessile. Capitula solitary or few together, to 1.5 cm across; spring and summer. Ray florets white or pink, turning reddish purple with age. Disk florets yellow. Achenes about 1mm long, hairy. Pappus of whitish bristles.[E. mucronatus DC.]
Mexico to Panama
E. alpinus L. from Europe is a low, short-lived perennial herb with entire leaves, capitula to 3.5 cm across and lilac ray florets.
E. aurantiacus Regel, Orange Daisy, from Turkestan is a low, mat-forming perennial herb with entire leaves, capitula to 5 cm across and orange-yellow ray florets.
E. glaucus Ker Gawl., Seaside Daisy, from W USA is a tufted succulent perennial herb with entire leaves, capitula to 5 cm across and lilac to violet ray florets.
E. speciosus (Lindl.) DC. from NW USA is an almost glabrous, robust perennial herb with entire leaves, capitula to 5 cm across and blue ray florets; a range of cultivars is sometimes attributed to this species, including 'Charity' with pale lilac florets and 'Pink Jewel' with pale lilac-pink florets. 'Profusion' and 'Vanity' are also listed.
Source: (2002). Dahlia. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.