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serpentine aster, starved aster

Habit Perennials, 20–50 cm, colonial or cespitose; branched rhizomatous.
Stems

1–3+, erect (straight, brittle), glabrate.

Leaves

thin, margins ciliate, abaxial faces glabrous or glabrate, adaxial sparsely strigose;

basal withering by flowering (new rosettes developing at flowering), sessile, blades lanceolate to oblanceolate or spatulate, 20–40+ × 3–5+ mm, bases attenuate, margins sparsely serrate to subentire, strigose-ciliate, apices acute to obtuse;

proximal cauline usually withering by flowering, sessile, blades linear-oblanceolate, ca. 30 × 2 mm, bases tapering, margins entire, scabrous, apices acute;

distal sometimes withering by flowering, sessile, blades linear, 10–30 × 1.5–5 mm, reduced distally, bases cuneate or not tapering, margins entire, apices acute, ± mucronulate.

Peduncles

long, gradually reduced distally on branches, glabrous or glabrate, bracts 3–17+, linear, mucronate.

Involucres

cylindro-campanulate, (3.2–) 3.4–4 (–4.3) mm.

Ray florets

7–14;

corollas usually white, seldom pink, laminae (3–)3.8–5.4(–6.2) × 0.5–1.1 mm.

Disc florets

7–17;

corollas yellow becoming brown, (2.2–)2.5–2.9(–3.1) mm, tubes shorter than narrowly funnelform throats, lobes lanceolate, 0.3–0.6(–0.9) mm.

Phyllaries

in 3–5 series, oblong-lanceolate, unequal, bases indurate 1/2–3/4, margins narrowly scarious, slightly or not erose, sparsely ciliolate or not distally, green zones lanceolate, apices acute, involute, slightly spreading, faces glabrous.

Heads

in open, wide, paniculiform arrays, branches arching, sometimes ± secund, abundantly bracteate.

Cypselae

yellowish brown, obovoid, ± compressed, ± 1.2–1.3 mm, 3–4-nerved, faces sparsely to moderately strigillose;

pappi white (yellowish), 2.4–3.3 mm.

2n

= 16.

Symphyotrichum depauperatum

Phenology Flowering Aug–Oct.
Habitat Serpentine or diabasic soils
Elevation 400–1000 m (1300–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
MD; NC; PA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Symphyotrichum depauperatum is federally listed in the United States.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 510.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Symphyotrichum > subg. Symphyotrichum > sect. Symphyotrichum
Sibling taxa
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. 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
Synonyms Aster depauperatus, Aster ericoides var. depauperatus, Aster ericoides var. pusillus, Aster parviceps var. pusillus, Aster pilosus var. pusillus
Name authority (Fernald) G. L. Nesom: Phytologia 77: 279. (1995)
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