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alpine leafybract aster, Canby's leafybract aster, Cusick's American aster, Cusick's aster, Henderson's aster, Kootenai aster, leafy aster, leafy or leafy-bract or alpine leafybract aster, leafy-bract aster, Parry's aster

Jessica's aster, Palouse aster

Habit Perennials 10–60 cm, colonial; long-rhizomatous. Perennials, 40–150 cm, colonial; long-rhizomatous.
Stems

1–5+, ascending to erect, glabrous or sparsely puberulent.

1–5+, ascending to erect, densely puberulent to lanate, especially distally.

Leaves

thin, margins entire or sometimes serrate, apices acute to obtuse, faces usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely hairy;

basal usually persistent, petiolate to subpetiolate, blades broadly elliptic to obovate, 30–200 × 8–25(–30) mm, bases attenuate, margins entire or sometimes serrate, apices acute to obtuse;

proximal cauline sessile or subpetiolate, blades elliptic to obovate, 35–120 × 8–25 mm, bases attenuate or cuneate to rounded, sometimes ± clasping, apices acute;

distal sessile, reduced distally, bases cuneate, apices acute.

thickish, margins entire or shallowly crenate, apices acute to ± obtuse, faces densely lanate-puberulent;

basal withering by flowering, petiolate, blades obovate to elliptic, 30–150 × 10–40 mm, bases cuneate to rounded, margins entire, ciliolate, apices acute, faces densely cinereous to lanate;

proximalmost cauline sometimes withering by flowering, subpetiolate or sessile, blades obovate-lanceolate to elliptic, 50–100 × 10–25(–35) mm, bases cuneate, clasping, ± auriculate, apices usually acute;

distal sessile, blades 20–60(–80) × 9–16(–20) mm, bases rounded to auriculate.

Peduncles

sparsely hairy, bracts 0–3, lanceolate.

densely lanate, bracts 1–8, elliptic, margins ciliolate, apices acute, puberulent.

Involucres

campanulate, 6–16(–20) mm.

campanulate, 6–10 mm.

Ray florets

15–60;

corollas violet to purple, laminae 8–18(–20) × 1–2 mm.

18–40;

corollas violet, laminae (8–)12–20 × 1–2(–2.5) mm.

Disc florets

50–150;

corollas yellow, 4–7 mm, lobes triangular, 0.4–1 mm.

35–80+;

corollas yellow, 6–9 mm, lobes triangular, 0.4–1 mm.

Phyllaries

in 4–6 series, oblanceolate or oblong (outer) to lanceolate or linear (inner), subequal or unequal (outer exceeding inner), bases outer foliaceous, inner indurate, margins entire, green zones elliptic to lanceolate, apices acute to rounded, faces glabrous or puberulent.

in 4–6 series, oblanceolate (outer) to linear (inner), unequal, bases scarious (outer sometimes foliaceous), margins slightly scarious, entire, green zones obovate to elliptic, apices acute, faces densely lanate to cinereous.

Heads

borne singly or in paniculiform arrays, branches ascending, up to 25 cm.

in paniculiform, very leafy arrays, branches 4–10(–20) cm.

Cypselae

brown, cylindric to obovoid, not compressed, 2.5–4 mm, 3–4-nerved, faces hairy;

pappi white to tawny, 5–8 mm.

brown, cylindric to obovoid, not compressed, 3.5–4.5 mm, 4–5-nerved, faces sparsely hairy;

pappi tawny, (6–)7–9 mm.

2n

= 80.

Symphyotrichum foliaceum

Symphyotrichum jessicae

Phenology Flowering Aug–Sep.
Habitat Dry grasslands, meadows, stream banks, openings in Ponderosa pine woodlands
Elevation 500–1200 m (1600–3900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 4 (4 in the flora).

Symphyotrichum foliaceum is extremely variable and is widespread in western montane coniferous forests and subalpine meadows.

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

Of conservation concern.

Symphyotrichum jessicae is known only from the Palouse and Clearwater river drainages of eastern Washington and adjacent northwestern Idaho.

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

Key
1. Plants 5–30 cm; heads 1–12; phyllaries subequal, narrowly lanceolate
→ 2
1. Plants usually 20–60 cm; heads usually 5–20; outer phyllaries exceeding inner, wider, often foliaceous
→ 3
2. Plants 5–20 cm; heads usually borne singly; phyllaries often purple-tinged; alpine or sub- alpine habitats
var. apricum
2. Plants 10–30 cm; heads usually 1–12; phyllaries green; montane to subalpine habitats.
var. parryi
3. Phyllaries obtuse to rounded; cauline leaves often clasping at base
var. canbyi
3. Phyllaries acute; cauline leaves sometimes rounded at base, not clasping
var. foliaceum
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 532. FNA vol. 20, p. 536.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Symphyotrichum > subg. Symphyotrichum > sect. Occidentales Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Symphyotrichum > subg. Symphyotrichum > sect. Occidentales
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. depauperatum, S. drummondii, S. dumosum, S. elliottii, S. ericoides, S. eulae, S. falcatum, S. fendleri, S. firmum, 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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
S. foliaceum var. apricum, S. foliaceum var. canbyi, S. foliaceum var. foliaceum, S. foliaceum var. parryi
Synonyms Aster foliaceus Aster jessicae
Name authority (Lindley ex de Candolle) G. L. Nesom: Phytologia 77: 282. (1995) (Piper) G. L. Nesom: Phytologia 77: 283. (1995)
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