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aster à longues feuilles, longleaf aster, Robyns' aster

aster ponceau, purple-stem American-aster, purple-stem aster, purplestem or swamp or red-stem aster, swamp aster

Habit Perennials, 10–80 cm, colonial; long-rhizomatous. Perennials (7–)100–250(–300) cm, cespitose; thickly short-rhizomatous or with stout, branched caudices, sometimes long-rhizomatous.
Stems

1, erect (± flexuous, often reddish), glabrous, hairy in lines distally.

1–5+, erect (straight to distally flexuous, stout 5–11 mm diam., usually reddish purple), usually densely to sparsely hirsute or hispid, glabrescent, often proximally glabrate, sometimes glabrate.

Leaves

stiff, margins sparsely serrulate or entire, ± revolute, scabrous, apices acute to acuminate, mucronulate, faces glabrous, sometimes midveins hairy;

basal withering by flowering, long-petiolate, petioles narrowly winged, bases sheathing, blades lanceolate, ca. 20 × 3–5 mm, slightly attenuate to narrowly cuneate;

proximal cauline withering by flowering, sessile or subpetiolate, blades linear-lanceolate to -oblanceolate, 100–200 × 4–8 mm, bases cuneate to attenuate, clasping;

distal sessile, blades linear-lanceolate to linear, 10–110 × 1–7 mm, progressively reduced distally, bases cuneate to rounded, slightly clasping or not, margins entire.

(dark green, not crowded) thin, margins remotely serrate to sometimes entire, scabrous, apices acute or acuminate to subcaudate, mucronate, abaxial faces glabrate, ± densely pilose along midveins, adaxial glabrate to scabrous;

basal withering by flowering, subpetiolate to petiolate (petioles ± winged, bases dilated, sheathing), blades spatulate to oblanceolate or lanceolate, 30–10+ × 3–20+ mm, bases attenuate to cuneate, margins remotely crenate-serrate to denticulate or entire, apices acute or acuminate to rounded;

proximal cauline withering by flowering, petiolate to subpetiolate (petioles widely winged, bases auriculate, clasping), blades lanceolate or oblanceolate to oblong, elliptic or elliptic-oblong, (55–)70–200(–220) × 10–40 mm, usually progressively lengthened to mid, bases ± attenuate to cuneate or auriculate and clasping;

distal sessile, blades oblanceolate or lanceolate to oblong or elliptic-oblong (sometimes nearly panduriform), 8–160 × 1–40 mm, progressively reduced distally, strongly so and linear in arrays, bases ± strongly auriculate, clasping, margins subentire or entire.

Peduncles

glabrous or ± densely pilose in lines, bracts 1–4, linear, sometimes inrolled distally, clasping, ciliate, distal 1–2 often subtending and surpassing involucres.

0.2–3+ cm, ± hispid or hirsute to villous, bracts 0–3, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate to linear, distal often subtending heads.

Involucres

campanulate, 5–8.5 mm.

campanulate, (6–)8–12(–15) mm.

Ray florets

20–35;

corollas dark blue-violet, seldom white, laminae 8–13 × 1–1.5 mm.

20–50(–60);

corollas usually pale to dark blue, lavender or purple, seldom white or pink, laminae (7–)12–18(–21) × (0.9–)1.4–1.8 mm.

Disc florets

(18–)23–40;

corollas yellow, 4–6.5 mm, tubes shorter than funnelform throats, lobes lanceolate, 0.8–1 mm.

30–50 (–90);

corollas yellow or cream becoming pink or purple, (4.1–)5–6.5 mm, tubes shorter than cylindro-funnelform limbs, lobes triangular, 0.4–1.1 mm.

Phyllaries

in 3–4 series, oblong-lanceolate, subequal, bases indurate 1/3–3/4, margins scarious, erose, hyaline, ciliate proximally, sparsely ciliolate distally, green zones lanceolate to linear, sometimes outer ± foliaceous, apices acuminate to long-acuminate, often foliaceous, mucronate to apiculate, faces glabrous, eglandular.

in 4–6 series, oblanceolate-spatulate to linear, subequal, bases indurate 1/5–1/2, margins not scarious (outer) to narrowly scarious, erose, hyaline, sparsely ciliolate, green zones linear-lanceolate, outer sometimes ± foliaceous, to linear (inner), apices ± spreading at tip when foliaceous, long-acuminate to caudate, mucronate to apiculate, sometimes purplish tinged, faces glabrous or ± hispid.

Heads

in elongate, open, narrow, paniculiform or racemiform arrays, branches ascending, short, leafy, branch leaves smaller and reduced distally (heads 1–3 per branch).

in open, paniculiform (often corymbiform-looking) arrays, branches widely spreading to ascending, sparsely to moderately leafy with ± large leaves.

Cypselae

tan, obovoid, compressed, ca. 2.2–2.4 mm, 5–6-nerved, faces sparsely strigillose;

pappi pinkish, 7–8 mm.

purple or brown (nerves stramineous), oblanceoloid, ± falcate, compressed, (2–)2.5–3.5(–4) mm, 3–4-nerved (nerves prominent), faces glabrous or sparsely strigillose;

pappi white, 3.8–6 mm.

2n

= 64, 80.

Symphyotrichum robynsianum

Symphyotrichum puniceum

Phenology Flowering Aug–Sep.
Habitat Wet or damp, open, sandy, gravelly, or rocky grounds, often calcareous, cracks in rocky stream or lake shores, limestone alvars, seasonally wet glades and swales, jackpine outwash plains
Elevation 10–400 m (0–1300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
MI; MN; WI; MB; ON; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; CT; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; LA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; AB; BC; MB; NB; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The name Aster longifolius Lamarck has been misapplied to this taxon.

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

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Symphyotrichum puniceum is one of the widest ranging species in the genus, growing from the edges of the prairies to the Atlantic coast, and from the Gulf coast of Texas to southern Ungava Bay (northern Quebec).

Several taxa have been recognized within this variable species. Here, we segregate Symphyotrichum firmum as a distinct entity. The tall, pink-rayed S. elliottii of the outer coastal plains is also distinctive, despite reports of hybrids with S. puniceum var. puniceum where their ranges overlap (see G. L. Nesom 1997b). A recently described member of the complex, S. rhiannon, is an ultramafic endemic from North Carolina. Here, within S. puniceum, we recognize two varieties, the variable and widespread var. puniceum, and var. scabricaule from the inner Gulf coastal plains, following Nesom, who also offered a useful summary of the infraspecific taxonomy of the species.

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

Key
1. Stems sparsely to ± densely hirsute, glabrescent, sometimes glabrate proximally; abaxial leaf faces paler than adaxial, with a dark, distinct reticulum, adaxial without impressed main veins; array leaves usually equal to mid cauline
var. puniceum
1. Stems densely and uniformly hirsute; abaxial and adaxial leaf faces ±concolorous, without dark, distinct reticulum, adaxial with distinctly impressed main veins; array leaves reduced in size relative to mid cauline
var. scabricaule
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 530. FNA vol. 20, p. 524.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Symphyotrichum > subg. Symphyotrichum > sect. Symphyotrichum 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. puniceum var. puniceum, S. puniceum var. scabricaule
Synonyms Aster robynsianus Aster puniceus
Name authority (J. Rousseau) Brouillet & Labrecque: Phytologia 82: 138. (1997) (Linnaeus) Á. Löve & D. Löve: Taxon 31: 359. (1982)
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