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

crag-aster, lava ankle-aster, lava-aster

Habit Plants 5–12(–20) cm (sometimes weakly cespitose, caudices multicipital or with relatively short branches; rhizomes fibrous-rooted, thickened, becoming woody).
Stems

proximally herbaceous or slightly woody, eglandular.

Leaves

proximal separated by evident internodes, spatulate, reduced in size distally;

mid and distal ovate to oblong or linear, 4–15 mm, margins narrowly whitish hyaline, faces densely scabrous-hispidulous.

Involucres

7–10 mm.

Disc florets

bisexual, fertile;

corollas 5.5–7.5 mm.

Heads

borne singly.

Cypselae

5–6 mm, faces eglandular.

2n

= 18, 36.

Ionactis alpina

Phenology Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat Dry ridges, slopes, and flats, commonly with sagebrush
Elevation 1300–2000(–3300) m (4300–6600(–10800) ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 83.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Ionactis
Sibling taxa
I. caelestis, I. elegans, I. linariifolia, I. stenomeres
Synonyms Chrysopsis alpina, Aster scopulorum
Name authority (Nuttall) Greene: Pittonia 3: 245. (1897)
Web links