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Schreber's aster, Schreber's wood-aster

aster à rameaux étalés, white wood-aster

Habit Plants (20–)40–110 cm, in ± dense clones (with sterile rosettes on short rhizomeds); rhizomes branched, long. Plants 28–90(–120) cm, in ± dense clones (lacking sterile rosettes); rhizomes branched, elongate, becoming woody.
Stems

1, erect, simple, straight, proximally glabrous or sparsely villous, distally densely villous.

1, erect, simple, flexuous, glabrate to sparsely puberulent proximally, densely puberulent distally.

Leaves

basal and cauline, margins coarsely serrate (proximal) to serrate (distal), strigoso-ciliate, teeth (15–30 per side) mucronulate, apices acuminate, abaxial faces sparsely strigose, long-stipitate-glandular on veins, adaxial sparsely villous, more densely so on veins;

basal withering by flowering, petiolate (55–180 mm), bases sheathing, blades broadly ovate, 55–110 × 48–95 mm, bases cordate (with mostly deep, rectangular sinuses);

cauline petiolate to (distal) subsessile, petioles (4–100 mm) ± winged, ± clasping, blades ovate to broadly lanceolate, 27–135 × 7–112 mm, bases cordate (sinuses narrower) to rounded or cuneate-rounded;

distal (arrays) sessile, ovate to lanceolate, 6–70 × 1–27 mm.

basal and cauline, thin, margins sharply serrate, teeth (6–15 per side) mucronulate, ciliate, apices acuminate, abaxial faces sparsely strigose or villous, particularly villous along veins, adaxial glabrescent to sparsely strigose, veins sparsely stipitate-glandular;

basal and proximal withering by flowering, petiolate (petioles 20–70 mm), blades ovate, 19–65 × 17–60 mm, basal smaller than proximal, bases cordate (sinuses narrow, curved);

cauline petiolate, petioles often ± winged (15–70 mm), blades ovate, 20–200 × 10–100 mm, bases cordate to rounded;

distal (arrays) usually sessile, sometimes subpetiolate, blades ovate to lanceolate, 5–20 × 1–8 mm, bases rounded.

Peduncles

sparsely to moderately villous, sparsely glandular;

bracts 0–1, linear.

to 1.5 cm, densely hairy, eglandular;

bracts 0(–2).

Involucres

cylindro-campanulate, 5.5–7.5 mm, equal to or shorter than pappi.

cylindro-campanulate, 4.2–6 mm, much shorter than pappi.

Ray florets

6–12;

corollas white, 10.5–13 × 1.5–2.1 mm.

5–10(–12);

corollas white, 6–12 × 1.5–2.2 mm.

Disc florets

12–20(–30);

corollas yellow, 5–6.8 mm, slightly ampliate, tubes (3.2–3.8 mm) longer than campanulate throats (1.1–1.9 mm), lobes erect to slightly spreading, lanceolate, (0.9–)1.1–1.5(–1.9) mm.

12–19(–25);

corollas yellow, 4.1–4.8(–5.5) mm, abruptly ampliate, tubes (2.3–2.6 mm) longer than campanulate throats (0.9–1.2 mm), lobes reflexed, lanceolate, 0.7–1.4 mm.

Phyllaries

23–32 in 4–5 series, oblong (outer) to lanceolate (inner), strongly unequal, bases indurate, dark green zones in distal 1/4 or less (outer), often confined to narrow strip along midnerves or none (inner), margins narrowly scarious, densely villoso-ciliate, apices ± loose, obtuse to rounded, faces glabrous or sparsely villosulous, sometimes sparsely stipitate-glandular.

25–30 in 4–5 series, inner purplish distally, oblong (outer) to lanceolate or linear-lanceolate (inner), strongly unequal, bases indurate, green zones in distal 1/2 (outer) to 1/3 or along distal midveins (inner), margins narrowly scarious, densely fimbriate-ciliate, apices rounded to acute, faces sparsely hairy, sometimes sparsely stipitate-glandular;

outer 0.7–1.5 mm wide, lengths seldom more than 2.5 times widths.

Heads

15–100+ in flat-topped, corymbiform arrays.

4–50(–100+) in ± flat-topped corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

brown, fusiform to cylindro-obconic, compressed, 3.2–3.7 mm, ribs 6–12, faces glabrous or sparsely strigillose;

pappi of (65–70) orangish to burnt orange (fine, barbellulate, sometimes apically clavellate) bristles 5–6.8 mm, ± equaling disc corolla.

brown, cylindro-obovoid, slightly compressed, 2.6–3.8 mm, ribs 7–10 (tan to stramineous), faces sparsely strigillose;

pappi of reddish to cream-colored (fine, barbellulate, sometimes apically ± clavate) bristles 3.7–5 mm, equaling or longer than disc corollas.

2n

= 54.

= 18.

Eurybia schreberi

Eurybia divaricata

Phenology Flowering late summer–early fall. Flowering late summer–fall.
Habitat Damp to mesic deciduous (maple, elm, oak), mixed woods, thickets, shaded roadbanks Dry to mesic, eastern deciduous and mixed deciduous woods, edges and clearings, roadsides
Elevation 0–1200 m (0–3900 ft) 0–1200(–1700) m (0–3900(–5600) ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; DE; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; ON [Introduced in Europe (Scotland)]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; CT; DC; DE; GA; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; VT; WV; ON; QC [Introduced in Europe (Netherlands)]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Eurybia schreberi is rare or extirpated in a many states at the northern limit of its range.

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

Eurybia divaricata is a mainly Appalachian element of the eastern North American deciduous forest. It is often confused with Eurybia chlorolepis (see W. F. Lamboy 1992 for distinction between the two species), E. schreberi, or Symphyotrichum cordifolium. Lamboy provided a map of the species.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 375. FNA vol. 20, p. 374.
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. integrifolia, E. jonesiae, E. macrophylla, E. merita, E. mirabilis, E. paludosa, E. radula, E. radulina, E. saxicastelli, E. sibirica, E. spectabilis, E. spinulosa, E. surculosa, E. ×herveyi
E. avita, E. chlorolepis, E. compacta, E. conspicua, 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. surculosa, E. ×herveyi
Synonyms Aster schreberi, Biotia glomerata, Biotia schreberi, E. glomerata Aster divaricatus, Aster boykinii, Aster castaneus, Aster corymbosus, Aster corymbosus var. alatus, Aster excavatus, Aster flexilis, Aster stilettiformis, Aster tenebrosus, Biotia corymbosa, Biotia corymbosa var. alata, Biotia macrophylla var. divaricata, E. corymbosa
Name authority (Nees) Nees: Gen. Sp. Aster., 137. (1832) (Linnaeus) G. L. Nesom: Phytologia 77: 259. (1995)
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