Erigeron

Erigeron () is a large genus of plants in the composite family (Asteraceae). It is placed in the tribe Astereae and is closely related to the Old World asters (Aster) and the true daisies (Bellis). The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, and the highest diversity occurs in North America.

==Etymology== thumb|right|Erigeron annuus thumb|right|Erigeron longipes thumb|right|Erigeron bonariensis Its English name, fleabane, is shared with related plants in several other genera. It appears to be derived from a belief that the dried plants repelled fleas or that the plants were poisonous to fleas. Botanist Thomas Meehan, though, calls "fleabane" a misnomer for North American species, rarely used in the United States "until it was employed in botanical works".