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Jessica's aster, Palouse aster

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

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

Leaves

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

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

Involucres

campanulate, 6–10 mm.

Ray florets

18–40;

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

Disc florets

35–80+;

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

Phyllaries

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

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

Cypselae

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 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
ID; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 536.
Parent taxa 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. 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
Synonyms Aster jessicae
Name authority (Piper) G. L. Nesom: Phytologia 77: 283. (1995)
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