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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
from FNA
AR; IL; KS; MO; OK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; NC; SC; VA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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
S. adnatum, S. anticostense, S. ascendens, S. boreale, S. bracteolatum, S. campestre, S. chapmanii, S. chilense, S. ciliatum, S. ciliolatum, S. concolor, S. cordifolium, S. cusickii, S. defoliatum, S. depauperatum, S. drummondii, S. dumosum, S. elliottii, S. ericoides, S. eulae, S. falcatum, S. fendleri, S. firmum, S. foliaceum, S. fontinale, S. frondosum, S. georgianum, S. grandiflorum, S. greatae, S. hallii, S. hendersonii, S. jessicae, S. laeve, S. lanceolatum, S. lateriflorum, S. laurentianum, S. lentum, S. molle, S. nahanniense, S. novae-angliae, S. novi-belgii, S. oblongifolium, S. ontarionis, S. oolentangiense, S. parviceps, S. patens, S. phlogifolium, S. pilosum, S. plumosum, S. porteri, S. potosinum, S. praealtum, S. pratense, S. prenanthoides, S. priceae, S. puniceum, S. pygmaeum, S. racemosum, S. retroflexum, S. rhiannon, S. robynsianum, S. sericeum, S. shortii, S. simmondsii, S. spathulatum, S. subspicatum, S. subulatum, S. tenuifolium, S. tradescantii, S. turbinellum, S. undulatum, S. urophyllum, S. walteri, S. welshii, S. yukonense, S. ×amethystinum
S. adnatum, S. anomalum, S. anticostense, S. ascendens, S. boreale, S. bracteolatum, S. campestre, S. chapmanii, S. chilense, S. ciliatum, S. ciliolatum, S. concolor, S. cordifolium, S. cusickii, S. defoliatum, S. depauperatum, S. drummondii, S. dumosum, S. ericoides, S. eulae, S. falcatum, S. fendleri, S. firmum, S. foliaceum, S. fontinale, S. frondosum, S. georgianum, S. grandiflorum, S. greatae, S. hallii, S. hendersonii, S. jessicae, S. laeve, S. lanceolatum, S. lateriflorum, S. laurentianum, S. lentum, S. molle, S. nahanniense, S. novae-angliae, S. novi-belgii, S. oblongifolium, S. ontarionis, S. oolentangiense, S. parviceps, S. patens, S. phlogifolium, S. pilosum, S. plumosum, S. porteri, S. potosinum, S. praealtum, S. pratense, S. prenanthoides, S. priceae, S. puniceum, S. pygmaeum, S. racemosum, S. retroflexum, S. rhiannon, S. robynsianum, S. sericeum, S. shortii, S. simmondsii, S. spathulatum, S. subspicatum, S. subulatum, S. tenuifolium, S. tradescantii, S. turbinellum, S. undulatum, S. urophyllum, S. walteri, S. welshii, S. yukonense, S. ×amethystinum
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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