Symphyotrichum anomalum |
Symphyotrichum elliottii |
|
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manyray aster |
Elliott's aster, marsh American-aster |
|
Habit | Perennials, 20–100(–120) cm, cespitose; usually with short, stout, branched caudices, woody with age, sometimes long-rhizomatous. | Perennials, 60–160(–200) cm, colonial; long-rhizomatous. |
Stems | 1–5+, erect or ascending (straight, often stout), proximally usually ± densely hirtellous, sometimes glabrescent, distally hirsute. |
1, erect (straight, stout, sometimes purplish pink), mostly glabrous, hirsutulous in arrays, mainly in lines. |
Leaves | thick, firm, margins (slightly undulate) scabrous, adaxial faces glabrous or strigose, scabrous, adaxial ± sparsely hirsute to scabro-hirtellous, sometimes ± scabrous (cauline sometimes with tufts of smaller leaves in axils); basal withering by flowering, petiolate (petioles sometimes narrowly winged), blades oblong-ovate to lanceolate, 10–40 × 10–20 mm, bases deeply cordate, margins sparsely serrate to serrulate, apices usually acute, sometimes obtuse to rounded; proximal cauline usually withering by flowering, petiolate (petioles slender to ± winged), blades ovate to broadly lanceolate, 40–90 × (15–) 25–50 mm, bases shallowly cordate or rounded to attenuate, rarely truncate, margins subentire or entire (rarely serrulate), apices acute or acuminate, with short callus point; distal subpetiolate or sessile, blades ovate to lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 10–70 × 1–10 mm, gradually or abruptly reduced distally, bases attenuate to cuneate, margins entire, apices acute to acuminate. |
firm, margins serrate to serrulate, scabridulous, apices acute to shortly acuminate, apiculate to mucronate, abaxial faces glabrous, adaxial scabridulous; basal withering by flowering, long-petiolate (petioles narrowly winged, sheathing), blades elliptic, 50–250 × 10–50 mm, bases attenuate; proximal cauline withering by flowering, long-petiolate to subpetiolate (petioles winged, bases expanded, sheathing), blades elliptic to lanceolate or oblanceolate, gradually reduced distally, 70–110 × 15–35 mm, bases attenuate; distal subpetiolate or sessile, (petioles broadly winged, bases sheathing to clasping), blades elliptic, 10–70 × 1–30 mm, progressively reduced distally, more strongly so on branches, bases attenuate to cuneate, clasping, margins serrulate or entire. |
Peduncles | densely bracteate, 0.3–5(–10) cm (rarely subsesssile), bracts numerous, linear, 2–6 mm, mucronulate, grading into phyllaries. |
0.5–2.5 cm, to erect, hirsute, bracts 3–5, linear, grading into phyllaries. |
Involucres | campanulate, 5–10 mm. |
narrowly campanulate, 8–11 mm. |
Ray florets | 18–45; corollas usually bright lavender-blue to purple, seldom white, laminae 9–15(–18) × 1–3.2 mm. |
(25–)30–46+; corollas pink or sometimes lavender, laminae 7–14 × 0.8–1.6 mm. |
Disc florets | 33–40+; corollas cream or light yellow turning pinkish purple, (4–)4.5–5.5 mm, tubes shorter than funnelform throats, lobes sometimes ± spreading, triangular to lanceolate, 0.5–0.8 mm. |
25–35+; corollas pale yellow becoming pink and later brown, 6–6.2 mm, tubes slightly shorter than narrowly funnelform limbs, lobes narrowly triangular to lanceolate, 0.8–1 mm. |
Phyllaries | in 4–6 series, oblong-lanceolate (outer) to oblanceolate-linear (innermost), unequal, bases indurate (appressed), margins ciliate to scabro-ciliate, green zones diamond-shaped to lanceolate, ± foliaceous distally, apices reflexed to squarrose, long-acuminate, apiculate, often purple, faces strigoso-hirtellous. |
in 5–6 series, linear-lanceolate or -oblanceolate to linear, slightly unequal, bases indurate 1/3–1/2, margins narrowly scarious, hyaline, sparsely and remotely ciliolate, green zones lanceolate to linear, outer distally foliaceous, sometimes constricted in middle, apices spreading to squarrose, long-acuminate, apiculate, faces glabrous. |
Heads | in open, diffuse, paniculiform arrays, branches divaricate, stout, long, densely bracteate. |
in paniculiform arrays, branches strongly ascending, leafy. |
Cypselae | deep purple to purplish brown or brown with purple speckles (nerves stramineous), oblong-obovoid, compressed, (1–)2.5–3.5(–3.8) mm, 5–6-nerved, faces glabrous; pappi tawny or rose-tinged, 3.7–5.2 mm. |
tan to pale brown, oblanceoloid, compressed, 2–2.7 mm, 3–4-nerved, faces glabrous or sparsely hairy; pappi sordid or whitish, 5.5–5.8 mm. |
2n | = 16. |
= 16. |
Symphyotrichum anomalum |
Symphyotrichum elliottii |
|
Phenology | Flowering late Aug–Oct. | Flowering Aug–Oct. |
Habitat | Dry, sandy, loamy, or clayey soils over limestone, or acid soils over chert, sandstone, or granite, rocky, open deciduous woods, thickets, dry ridges, cliffs, bluffs, occasional along streams | Moist, low sites, swamps, bogs, marshes, brackish marshes |
Elevation | 50–500 m (200–1600 ft) | 0–50+ m (0–200+ ft) |
Distribution |
AR; IL; KS; MO; OK
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AL; FL; GA; LA; NC; SC; VA
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Discussion | A. G. Jones (1989, 1992) reported that Symphyotrichum anomalum may hybridize with S. drummondii, S. oolentangiense, and S. shortii. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Symphyotrichum elliottii grows on the Atlantic coastal plain. It is of conservation concern in some states. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 20, p. 504. | FNA vol. 20, p. 524. |
Parent taxa | Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Symphyotrichum > subg. Symphyotrichum > sect. Symphyotrichum | Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Symphyotrichum > subg. Symphyotrichum > sect. Symphyotrichum |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Aster anomalus | Aster elliottii |
Name authority | (Engelmann ex Torrey & A. Gray) G. L. Nesom: Phytologia 77: 275. (1995) | (Torrey & A. Gray) G. L. Nesom: Phytologia 77: 280. (1995) |
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