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coyote-thistle aster, thistleleaf aster

bouquet aster

Habit Plants 30–70 cm; in scattered individuals or small clumps, eglandular; rhizomes short, stout, or strong, woody caudices (roots fleshy). Plants 30–120 cm; not strongly colonial or in clumps, not or barely stipitate-glandular; rhizomes coarse, short, woody.
Stems

1–3+, erect, coarse, villous.

1–3+, erect, slightly flexuous, simple, sparsely strigose proximally or glabrescent, densely strigose distally.

Leaves

strongly basal and cauline, coriaceous, margins indurate, entire to remotely spinose-serrate, remotely and obscurely scabridulous, spines indurate-margined or wholly indurate, finely parallel-veined with evident midnerves, apices acute, revolute, indurate, abaxial faces glabrous;

basal and proximal cauline persistent (bases ± marcescent when leaves deciduous), petioles scarcely distinct, blades linear (grasslike), 70–350 × 3–8 mm, adaxial faces glabrous;

cauline sessile, blades linear to lance-linear, 15–130 × 1.5–7 mm, progressively reduced and more spinose distally, adaxial faces progressively more villous distally.

basal and cauline, margins crenate-serrate, teeth mucronate, margins scabrous to strigoso-ciliate, apices acute to obtuse, ± acuminate, mucronate, abaxial faces scabrous (short strigose), adaxial ± densely strigose;

basal and proximal cauline long-petiolate, petioles not to narrowly winged, sheathing, blades ovate, 50–200 × 30–120 mm, bases shallowly cordate to rounded;

cauline shortly, broadly winged-petiolate to subpetiolate or sessile, ovate or elliptic to lanceolate or oblanceolate, 13–122 × 6–55 mm, gradually reduced distally, bases auriculate, not clasping, or cuneate to winged-attenuate;

distal (arrays) sessile, obovate or oblong to lanceolate, 10–32 × 4–10 mm, bases rounded to attenuate, apices obtuse to rounded or acute.

Peduncles

± densely villous, sometimes sparsely stipitate-glandular distally;

bracts 0–7, appressed, lanceolate, bases ± indurate, margins spinose, adaxial faces villous.

densely strigose, sometimes sparsely stipitate-glandular distally;

bracts 0–2, broad, densely strigose.

Involucres

campanulo-hemispheric, 9–12 mm, slightly shorter than pappi.

campanulate, 7–12 mm, shorter than pappi.

Ray florets

25–60;

corollas white or pinkish, coiling, 10–20 × 1–2.1 mm.

(7–)16–20(–30);

corollas white to lavender, 10–15 × 1.4–2.1 mm.

Disc florets

115–260;

corollas yellow, 5.5–7 mm, slightly ampliate, tubes shorter than tubular throats, lobes 0.75–1 mm, erect, lanceolate.

20–40;

corollas pale yellow, becoming purplish-tinged on lobes, funnelform, slightly ampliate, 6–7.5 mm, tubes longer than throats, lobes spreading, lanceolate, 1–1.5 mm.

Phyllaries

70–140 in 4–5 series, greenish, densely thick-nerved, lanceolate to linear (innermost), unequal, coriaceous, bases indurate and rounded (outer), margins entire, indurate or ± scarious, erose (inner), sometimes sparsely villoso-ciliate, ± densely stipitate-glandular, apices squarrose, green and often purplish-tinged, foliaceous, long-acuminate, adaxial faces villosulous, rarely also sparsely stipitate-glandular.

46–75(–90) in 5–7 series, oblong-lanceolate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), strongly unequal, membranous, bases indurate, rounded (outer), green zones in distal 1/3–1/2 foliaceous (outer) or 0 (innermost), margins hyaline, narrowly scarious, erose, ciliate, apices ± squarrose or reflexed, obtuse to acute and mucronulate (outer) or acuminate (inner), faces strigoso-villous to strigillose, eglandular.

Heads

1–11+, borne singly or in racemiform arrays, branches ascending to erect, stiff.

3–10+ in loose, flat-topped, corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

straw-colored, ellipsoid to obovoid, 2–3.5 mm, ribs 11–13 prominent, glabrous;

pappi of (ca. 35) orangish tan (coarse, sometimes clavellate) bristles 7.8–8.2 mm, slightly longer than disc corollas.

reddish brown to brown, fusiform, compressed, 3–4 mm, ribs 7–12, faces sparsely strigillose;

pappi of cinnamon (apically clavate) bristles, equaling disc corollas.

2n

= 18.

Eurybia eryngiifolia

Eurybia mirabilis

Phenology Flowering late spring–midsummer. Flowering late summer–early fall.
Habitat Low pine flatwoods, pine savannas, bogs, often on wet sand, on southern coastal plains Deciduous or mixed deciduous woods, on slopes or alluvial plains, usually on basic or circumneutral soils, Piedmont Plateau
Elevation 0–100 m (0–300 ft) 100–300 m (300–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NC; SC
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Eurybia eryngiifolia is known from the Florida panhandle and adjacent areas of southern Georgia and Alabama. The species is of conservation concern in Alabama.

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

Of conservation concern.

Eurybia mirabilis is infrequent throughout its range. It has been reported for Alabama and Georgia but no specimens were seen. Such reports may be based on specimens of E. jonesiae identified as Aster commixtus. Both species have been so identified.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 381. FNA vol. 20, p. 373.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Eurybia Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Eurybia
Sibling taxa
E. avita, E. chlorolepis, E. compacta, E. conspicua, E. divaricata, E. furcata, E. hemispherica, E. integrifolia, E. jonesiae, E. macrophylla, E. merita, E. mirabilis, E. paludosa, E. radula, E. radulina, E. saxicastelli, E. schreberi, E. sibirica, E. spectabilis, E. spinulosa, E. surculosa, E. ×herveyi
E. avita, E. chlorolepis, E. compacta, E. conspicua, E. divaricata, E. eryngiifolia, E. furcata, E. hemispherica, E. integrifolia, E. jonesiae, E. macrophylla, E. merita, E. paludosa, E. radula, E. radulina, E. saxicastelli, E. schreberi, E. sibirica, E. spectabilis, E. spinulosa, E. surculosa, E. ×herveyi
Synonyms Aster eryngiifolius, Heleastrum chapmanii, Prionopsis chapmanii Aster mirabilis
Name authority (Torrey & A. Gray) G. L. Nesom: Phytologia 77: 259. (1995) (Torrey & A. Gray) G. L. Nesom: Phytologia 77: 261. (1995)
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