Flora of North America species comparison

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Almutaster

aster, marsh alkali aster
Habit Perennials, 30–120 cm (rhizomes long, slender, roots fleshy).
Stems

(1–4), ascending to erect, simple, usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely pilose proximally, densely stipitate-glandular distally.
Leaves

basal and cauline; alternate;

basal ± petiolate, cauline sessile;

blades 1-nerved, linear- to oblong-spatulate (basal), or linear-lanceolate to linear, margins entire, revolute, faces glabrous or (distal) densely stipitate-glandular.
Involucres

campanulate, 4.5–8 × 8–14 mm.
Receptacles

flat to slightly convex, pitted, epaleate.
Ray florets

15–30(–45) in 1 series, pistillate, fertile;

corollas white to pale purple (coiling at maturity).
Disc florets

40–50, bisexual, fertile;

corollas yellow, slightly ampliate, tubes shorther than tubular throats, lobes 5, erect, triangular;

style-branch appendages lanceolate.
Phyllaries

22–44 in 3–4 series, 1-nerved (nerve translucent, flat), usually lance-oblong to lanceolate, sometimes ovate, subequal, membranous, margins scarious, (apices darker green, acute, mucronulate) abaxial faces densely short-stipitate-glandular.
Heads

radiate, usually in paniculiform (sometimes appearing corymbiform) arrays, sometimes borne singly.
Cypselae

fusiform-obconic, terete, 7–10-nerved (nerves thin), faces glabrous to sparsely strigose;

pappi of 30–40, stramineous, subequal, barbellate, apically attenuate bristles in 1 series.
x

= 9.

Almutaster
Distribution
North America; Mexico
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Species 1.

The monotypic Almutaster was segregated by Á. Löve and D. Löve without comment. Its distinction was accepted by G. L. Nesom (1994b, 2000), who listed its distinctive characteristics and pointed out its close affinities to Psilactis, as well as putative similarities with Symphyotrichum sect. Oxytripolium (Symphyotrichum subg. Astropolium in current treatment). Nesom (1994b) also rejected the hypothesis of an allopolyploid origin for the taxon, based on cytologic and hybridization data. A phylogenetic analysis of nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS) sequence data indicates that Almutaster is sister to Psilactis, both forming the sister group to Symphyotrichum. Subgenus Astropolium is well nested within genus Symphyotrichum and its similarities to Almutaster must be intepreted as either retention of symplesiomorphies or convergence due to occupancy of similar saline habitats.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 461. Author: Luc Brouillet.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae
Subordinate taxa
A. pauciflorus
Synonyms Aster unranked Pauciflori, Aster section Pauciflori
Name authority Á. Löve & D. Löve: Taxon 31: 356. (1982)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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