Symphyotrichum grandiflorum |
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big-head aster, large-flower aster |
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Habit | Perennials, 50–100 cm, colonial; woody rhizomatous. |
Stems | 1–5+, erect (stout, brown), proximally ± hispid, distally sparsely strigose, distally stipitate-glandular. |
Leaves | stiff (dark green), greatly reduced distally, margins entire, scabrous; basal early deciduous, sessile, blades (3-nerved) oblanceolate, 40–80 × 4–12 mm, bases attenuate, apices obtuse to acute, faces sparsely scabrous; proximal cauline usually withered by flowering, sessile, blades oblanceolate to lanceolate-oblong, 20–60 × 5–20 mm, bases cordate-clasping, apices acute, mucronulate, faces glabrate to sparsely scabrous, stipitate-glandular; distal sessile, blades lanceolate to oblong, 20–40 × 5–8 mm, bases cuneate, apices acute, mucronulate to white-spinulose, faces glabrous or scabrous, sparsely stipitate-glandular. |
Peduncles | 3–5 cm, short-strigose, stipitate-glandular, bracts spreading to reflexed, lanceolate-oblong, 5–10 mm, little reduced distally, grading into phyllaries. |
Involucres | campanulate, 8.5–12 mm. |
Ray florets | 14–35; corollas light to reddish purple, laminae 11–15(–20) × 1.5–2.5 mm. |
Disc florets | 25–35; corollas yellow becoming reddish purple, 5.5–8 mm, lobes narrowly triangular, 0.7–1 mm. |
Phyllaries | in 3–4 series, spatulate-oblanceolate, unequal, bases ± indurate, margins scarious, green zones covering distal portion, apices spreading to strongly reflexed, faces sparsely scabrous, moderately stipitate-glandular. |
Heads | in racemiform to paniculiform arrays, branches patent or ascending with 1–5+ heads. |
Cypselae | light brown, cylindric to narrowly obovoid, ± compressed, 3–4.5 mm, 7–10-nerved (brown), faces moderately strigose; pappi tan, 5.5–6 mm. |
2n | = 30, 60. |
Symphyotrichum grandiflorum |
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Phenology | Flowering (Sep–)Oct(–Nov). |
Habitat | Sandy soils, sand hills, roadsides, edges of deciduous woods and thickets |
Elevation | 0–200+ m (0–700+ ft) |
Distribution |
NC; SC; VA
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Source | FNA vol. 20, p. 484. |
Parent taxa | Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Symphyotrichum > subg. Virgulus |
Sibling taxa | |
Synonyms | Aster grandiflorus, Virgulus grandiflorus |
Name authority | (Linnaeus) G. L. Nesom: Phytologia 77: 283. (1995) |
Web links |