The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Engelmann's aster, Engelmann's mountain-aster

Habit Perennials 50–120(–150) cm (with caudices or stout rhizomes).
Stems

ascending to erect, glabrate or pilose, eglandular to ± densely glandular.

Leaves

mid and distal blades elliptic to lance-ovate, 5–10 cm × 15–35 mm, faces glabrous and eglandular to adaxially villous and/or ± glandular.

Peduncles

often stipitate-glandular.

Involucres

turbinate, 7–10 mm.

Phyllaries

in 4–6 series (strongly unequal, often reddish apically), linear to lance-ovate, acute to acuminate, pubescent to glandular or glabrate abaxially, villous adaxially, especially distally (appearing ciliate toward tips).

Heads

5–15(–40) in racemiform to corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

usually pilose;

pappus bristles in 2 series, barbellate.

Rays

usually 8 or 13, white to pink.

2n

= 18.

Eucephalus engelmannii

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Open coniferous forests, montane and subalpine meadows
Elevation 500–3000 m (1600–9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; ID; MT; NV; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Forms of Eucephalus engelmannii from the Cascade Mountains with leaves more densely pubescent on the abaxial faces may reflect intergradation with E. ledophyllus.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 40.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Eucephalus
Sibling taxa
E. breweri, E. elegans, E. glabratus, E. glaucescens, E. gormanii, E. ledophyllus, E. paucicapitatus, E. tomentellus, E. vialis
Synonyms Aster elegans var. engelmannii, Aster engelmannii
Name authority (D. C. Eaton) Greene: Pittonia 3: 54. (1896)
Web links