Symphyotrichum ontarionis
Symphyotrichum patens
aster du lac Ontario, bottomland aster, Ontario American-aster, Ontario aster
late purple American-aster, late purple aster, late purple or spreading aster
1–(2–3), ascending to erect (straight), proximally glabrate, distally uniformly villous or hirsute, or glabrous (var. glabratum).
1–5+, ascending to erect (often stout, light to dark brown), sparsely to densely scabroso-hirsute to cinereo-puberulent, or villous distally.
thin, margins scabrous, apices mucronate, abaxial faces usually sparsely to densely strigose or strigillose, sometimes glabrous (var. glabrum), adaxial usually strigose or scabrous, sometimes glabrate or glabrous (var. glabrum);
basal withering by flowering, petiolate to subpetiolate (petioles narrowly winged, ciliate, bases sheathing), blades spatulate to oblanceolate-obovate, 10–40 × 5–10 mm, bases attenuate, margins crenate-serrate, apices acute to rounded;
proximalmost cauline usually withering by flowering, petiolate or sessile (petioles narrowly winged, ± clasping), blades ovate or lance-ovate to elliptic-lanceolate or oblanceolate, 20–80(–12) × 5–35 mm, progressively reduced distally, bases attenuate to cuneate, margins serrate (sometimes coarsely) to crenate-serrate, apices acute to acuminate or short-caudate;
distal sessile, blades elliptic-lanceolate to oblanceolate or lanceolate, (6–)10–80+ × 2–25 mm, progressively reduced distally, bases cuneate, margins entire to serrulate, apices acute to acuminate.
(light to dark green) thick and often stiff (margins flat, sometimes undulate), scabrous;
basal early deciduous, subpetiolate (petioles winged, sheathing), blades spatulate to obovate, 30–70 × 10–30 mm, bases cuneate, margins entire to ± serrulate, scabrous, apices acute to rounded, faces scabroso-hirsute;
proximal cauline sessile, blades usually ovate to lanceolate, rarely spatulate, (20–)30–70(–100) × 10–30(–40) mm, reduced distally, bases strongly cordate-clasping to auriculate-amplexicaul (broadened below constriction), apices acute, faces (grayish green) rugulose, hairy (abaxial inconspicuously veined, adaxial reticulately veined, hairier along veins);
distal sessile, blades narrowly to broadly ovate, 15–35 × 4–13 mm, much reduced on branches, bases strongly cordate-clasping to auriculate-amplexicaul, apices usually acute, sometimes obtuse, mucronate to white-spinulose, faces scabrous, sometimes sparsely to moderately stipitate-glandular.
subsessile or 2–10(–20) mm, ± pilose, bracts 1–5, linear-lanceolate, pilose, grading into phyllaries.
stiffly ascending, slender, 2–10(–15) cm, scabroso-hirsute to cinereo-puberulent, bracts appressed to spreading, linear, 1–5 mm, grading into phyllaries.
campanulate, 3–5.5 mm.
campanulate, 5.5–12 mm.
(10–)15–26;
corollas usually white, rarely pinkish or light purple to blue, laminae 3.5–5.5(–8) × 0.5–1.5 mm.
12–24+;
corollas light lavender-violet to mauve, rarely white to pinkish, laminae 10–18(–20) × 1–3 mm.
12–25;
corollas cream or light yellow turning magenta or purple (ampliate), 2.5–4(–4.5) mm, tubes shorter than funnelform throats, lobes slightly spreading to reflexed, lanceolate, 0.7–1.1 mm.
20–50;
corollas yellow, cream, or white turning purple, (4.5–)5.5–7.5 mm, tubes shorter than narrowly funnelform throats, lobes triangular, 0.5–1 mm (glabrous or lobes thinly puberulent).
in (3–)4–6 series, unequal, appressed or ± spreading, linear-obovate (outer) to oblong-lanceolate to linear (inner), bases indurate 1/3–3/4, margins narrowly scarious to apices, erose, hyaline, ciliate, green zones lanceolate, apices acute to acuminate, mucronulate, faces (outer) sparsely pilose or glabrous (var. glabratum), (inner) glabrous.
in 4–7(–8) series, appressed or often slightly recurved-spreading or squarrose, ovate-lanceolate to linear, strongly unequal, bases (tan) ± indurate in proximal 1/3–1/2, margins hyaline, erose, distally scabroso-ciliolate to ciliolate, green zones diamond-shaped, in distal 1/5–1/3, apices (outer) obtuse to acute, appressed to squarrose, (inner) acuminate, often purplish red, faces strigillose or cinereo-puberulent abaxially and near tip adaxially, sometimes moderately stipitate-glandular distally.
in ample, open, paniculiform arrays, branches ± ascending or divaricate to long-arching, ± secund.
in paniculiform arrays, branches divaricate (heads 1–5+ per branch), terminal shoot often not flowering.
gray or tan, oblong-obovoid, sometimes ± compressed, 1.2–1.8(–2) mm, 3–5-nerved, faces strigillose;
pappi whitish to white, 3–3.5 mm.
dull purple or brown, obovoid to oblong-obovoid, not compressed, 2–3.5 mm, 7–10-nerved (faint), faces sericeous or strigillose;
pappi tawny, sometimes rose-tinged, 4.5–6.5 mm.
Symphyotrichum ontarionis
Symphyotrichum patens
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Symphyotrichum ontarionis is often confused with S. lateriflorum, from which it can be distinguished by its shorter disc corolla lobes and abaxial leaf faces either moderately to densely hairy or glabrous to glabrate (var. glabratum), and without hairs along midveins (as is typical of S. lateriflorum).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Abaxial leaf faces moderately to densely hairy | var. ontarionis |
1. Abaxial leaf faces glabrous or glabrate | var. glabratum |
1. Involucres turbinate, 8–12 mm; phyllaries in 5–7 series, appressed, obtuse, densely strigillose to canescent, eglandular or sparsely glandular; mostly w of Mississippi River, Interior Uplands of e United States | var. patentissimum |
1. Involucres campanulate, 5.5–7.5 mm; phyllaries in 4–5 series, squarrose, acute to acuminate, sparsely to densely strigillose, sparsely to densely stipitate-glandular | → 2 |
2. Plants slender; involucres 5.5–6.5 mm; mid phyllaries 0.7–1 mm, faces densely strigillose, sparsely stipitate-glandular; Alabama to Texas, n to Kansas | var. gracile |
2. Plants robust; involucres 6–7.5 mm; mid phyllaries 1–1.2 mm, faces densely glandular and sparsely strigillose; mostly e of Mississippi River | var. patens |
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