Burke: Symphyotrichum subulatum vs. Symphyotrichum frondosum

	Symphyotrichum subulatum	Symphyotrichum frondosum
		alkali aster, short rayed aster, short-rayed alkali aster
Habit		Glabrous, branching annual, the stem 0.5-14 dm. tall.
Leaves		Leaves alternate, linear and sessile to oblanceolate and short-petiolate, the blade up to 6 cm. long and 1 cm. wide.
Flowers		Heads several in a paniculate inflorescence; involucre 5-9 mm. high, its bracts herbaceous, somewhat imbricate; pistillate ray flowers more numerous than the disk flowers, the rays pinkish, about 2 mm. long, erect and narrow, longer than the style, barely surpassing the disk flowers; capillary pappus soft and copious, longer than the disk flowers.
Fruits		Achene

	Symphyotrichum subulatum	Symphyotrichum frondosum
Flowering time		August-October
Habitat		Moist, usually saline soil, often along the shores of lakes and ponds, or in vernally moist, alkaline bottoms.
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	British Columbia to California, esat to Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin		Native
Conservation status		Not of concern
Sibling taxa	S. ×amethystinum, S. ascendens, S. boreale, S. bracteolatum, S. campestre, S. chilense, S. ciliatum, S. ×columbianum, S. ericoides, S. foliaceum, S. frondosum, S. hallii, S. jessicae, S. laeve, S. lanceolatum, S. novae-angliae, S. pilosum, S. spathulatum, S. subspicatum	S. ×amethystinum, S. ascendens, S. boreale, S. bracteolatum, S. campestre, S. chilense, S. ciliatum, S. ×columbianum, S. ericoides, S. foliaceum, S. hallii, S. jessicae, S. laeve, S. lanceolatum, S. novae-angliae, S. pilosum, S. spathulatum, S. subspicatum
Web links	Local floras: CA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Symphyotrichum subulatum

Symphyotrichum frondosum

alkali aster, short rayed aster, short-rayed alkali aster

Habit

Glabrous, branching annual, the stem 0.5-14 dm. tall.

Leaves

Leaves alternate, linear and sessile to oblanceolate and short-petiolate, the blade up to 6 cm. long and 1 cm. wide.

Flowers

Heads several in a paniculate inflorescence;

involucre 5-9 mm. high, its bracts herbaceous, somewhat imbricate; pistillate ray flowers more numerous than the disk flowers, the rays pinkish, about 2 mm. long, erect and narrow, longer than the style, barely surpassing the disk flowers; capillary pappus soft and copious, longer than the disk flowers.

Fruits

Achene