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thick-stem aster

creeping aster

Habit Plants 15–70 cm, usually in clumps, sometimes in large clones, densely long-stipitate-glandular distally; woody, branched, thick, usually short rhizomes or short caudices. Plants 10–90 cm; in clones and clumps (sometimes with rosettes), eglandular (except pedicels); rhizomes slender, herbaceous becoming woody, scaly.
Stems

1–3+, straight, stout, glabrous or sparsely hispid proximally, distally ± hispido-villous.

1–3+, erect, simple, straight, proximally sparsely strigillose to glabrescent, distally strigose or villoso- or hirsuto-strigose.

Leaves

basal and cauline, firm, margins entire, strigoso-ciliate, distal also stipitate-glandular, apices mucronate, faces glabrous or glabrescent to ± densely hispid or strigose (then ± scabrous), particularly on veins, midveins sometimes notably hispido-villous, proximally ± sparsely, distally ± densely stipitate-glandular;

basal and proximal cauline long-petiolate (to 100+ mm), petioles ± broadly winged, bases sheathing or auriculate-clasping, blades ovate-lanceolate to narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, 33–180+ × 11–50 mm, bases attenuate, apices acute or obtuse to rounded;

mid sessile, blades oblong or oblanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, lanceolate, or lance-ovate, 30–140 × 7–27 mm, gradually reduced distally, bases auriculate-clasping, apices usually acute, rarely obtuse;

distal (arrays) narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 9–50 × 3–20 mm.

basal and cauline, firm (only midnerves conspicuous), margins slightly revolute, slightly indurate, entire or sometimes remotely crenulate-serrulate, scabrous, teeth indurate, apices acute to obtuse, indurate, often mucronate, abaxial faces scabrous, adaxial sparsely strigose or glabrous;

basal and proximal cauline usually persistent, sometimes withering by flowering (bases often marcescent), petioles sometimes narrowly winged, bases sheathing, blades narrowly elliptic, narrowly ovate, or lanceolate to spatulate, narrowly obovate, or oblanceolate, 13–135 × (2–)6–35 mm (earliest smaller), bases attenuate to cuneate;

mid short-winged-petiolate or sessile, blades lance-oblong, lance-elliptic, lanceolate, or oblanceolate, 22–105 × 3–14 mm, gradually reduced distally, bases slightly auriculate-clasping to cuneate or attenuate;

distal (arrays) sessile, blades lanceolate to linear, 7–42 × 1–6 mm, abruptly reduced.

Peduncles

± densely long-stipitate-glandular;

bracts 0(–2), densely stipitate-glandular.

densely strigose or strigoso-hispid, sometimes sparsely long-stipitate-glandular distally;

bracts (0–)1–3(–6), leaflike to phyllary-like (bases indurate), scabrous or sparsely strigose.

Involucres

campanulate, 8–14 mm, much shorter than pappi.

cylindro-campanulate, 7–11(–13) mm, shorter than pappi.

Ray florets

8–27;

corollas violet-purple, 10–15 × 1.2–2.2 mm.

13–30;

corollas bluish violet, (8–)11.5–15.5 × 1.5–2.3 mm.

Disc florets

20–50;

corollas pale yellow turning pinkish or purplish, 6–7.8 mm, slightly ampliate, tubes much shorter than cylindric to narrowly funnelform throats, lobes erect, lanceolate, 0.6–0.8 mm.

25–40;

corollas pale yellow turning purplish, 5–7.2 mm, slightly ampliate, tubes shorter than funnelform throats, lobes erect, deltate to triangular, 0.75–1.1 mm.

Phyllaries

25–40 in 3–4 series, inner often purplish, oblong-lanceolate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), ± unequal, membranous, bases pale, indurate, sometimes rounded (outer), distally foliaceous (3/4+ in outer, seldom to base, to 1/5 in inner) and wider than bases, margins narrowly scarious (non-foliaceous parts), purplish (at least inner), ciliate and/or stipitate-glandular (along foliaceous parts), apices squarrose, usually acute, sometimes acuminate, faces densely stipitate-glandular.

35–65 in 4–5 series, oblong (outer) to linear-oblong or seldom linear (inner), strongly unequal, membranous, bases indurate, rounded (outer), dark green zones foliaceous, sometimes slightly dilated, in distal 1/3–1/2 (outer) to 1/8–1/7 or none and not reaching margins (inner), margins hyaline or sometimes purplish, narrowly scarious, erose, ciliate (scarious parts), ± scabrous (foliaceous parts), sometimes short-stipitate-glandular (innermost), apices spreading to squarrose, obtuse, often dilated (innermost), mucronulate (outer) or apiculate (inner), abaxial faces glabrous or strigillose, both scabrellous on foliaceous parts.

Heads

3–41+ in elongate, racemo-corymbiform arrays, branches ascending.

(1–)3–50(–122+), usually in open or dense, corymbiform arrays, seldom borne singly.

Cypselae

greenish stramineous, fusiform-obconic, slightly compressed, 4.2–4.7 mm, ribs 7–10, faces ± densely hirtellous;

pappi of stramineous to tawny bristles 7–8 mm, ± equaling disc corollas.

brown, cylindro-obconic, slightly compressed, 3.2–3.5 mm, ribs 8–10, stramineous, strigillose;

pappi of tawny-yellowish to pinkish bristles 5.2–7.1 mm, ± equaling disc corollas.

2n

= 18.

= 36.

Eurybia integrifolia

Eurybia surculosa

Phenology Flowering summer–early fall. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Drier meadows, open, moist woodlands, in sedge-willow, sagebrush, Douglas fir, and spruce communities Dry to wet, especially sandy soils, open, pinelands, oak-scrub, clearings, bogs, roadsides
Elevation 1600–3200 m (5200–10500 ft) 200–1500 m (700–4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; CT; DE; GA; KY; MA; MD; NC; OH; SC; TN; VA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Eurybia integrifolia is found in mountain ranges bordering the Basin and Range Province, from the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges in the west to the Rocky Mountains and Colorado Plateau in the east.

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

Eurybia surculosa is of conservation concern in Virginia and Alabama. It is often confused with E. compacta, its close relative from the coastal plains. In states where both are present, it is found only inland in the southern Appalachian Mountains and not on the coastal plains; its larger heads help to differentiate it from E. compacta.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 368. FNA vol. 20, p. 377.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Eurybia Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Eurybia
Sibling taxa
E. avita, E. chlorolepis, E. compacta, E. conspicua, E. divaricata, E. eryngiifolia, E. furcata, E. hemispherica, 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. mirabilis, E. paludosa, E. radula, E. radulina, E. saxicastelli, E. schreberi, E. sibirica, E. spectabilis, E. spinulosa, E. ×herveyi
Synonyms Aster integrifolius, Aster amplexifolius Aster surculosus
Name authority (Nuttall) G. L. Nesom: Phytologia 77: 260. (1995) (Michaux) G. L. Nesom: Phytologia 77: 262. (1995)
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