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western aster, western mountain aster

Habit Plants 20–50(–60) cm. Annuals or perennials, eglandular; usually rhizomatous, sometimes taprooted.
Stems

usually not brittle at maturity, usually proximally glabrous or glabrate and distally hairy in lines, sometimes ± uniformly hairy, sometimes glabrous distally.

Leaves

narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate.

basal usually withering by flowering, usually petiolate, sometimes sessile or subsessile, blades 1-nerved, spatulate to oblanceolate, elliptic, or ovate to cordate, margins coarsely serrate to crenate or entire;

cauline petiolate or sessile, blades widely ovate to linear, bases cordate or subcordate, rounded, cuneate, or attenuate, sometimes auriculate and ± clasping.

Disc corollas

± ampliate, throats usually ± narrowly funnelform, sometimes cylindric or funnelform-campanulate, lobes usually erect, sometimes spreading, recurved, or reflexed.

Phyllaries

strongly unequal to subequal, outer sometimes ± foliaceous, green zones usually diamond-shaped to lanceolate, apices sometimes foliaceous.

Heads

3–10(–20).

radiate or disciform.

Cypselae

cylindric to obovoid or oblong, sometimes ± compressed, 2–6-nerved, glabrous or ± strigillose.

Ray

(or pistillate) florets usually (6–)7–50(–60) in 1 series and laminae (3–)5–18(–21) × 0.8–2.8 mm, sometimes 14–110+ in 2–5+ series (sect. Conyzopsis) and laminae 4.5–5 × 0.1–0.2 mm or reduced to tubes.

x

= 7, 8.

2n

= 16, 32, 48, 64.

Symphyotrichum spathulatum var. spathulatum

Symphyotrichum subg. Symphyotrichum

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Montane meadows, open aspen and coniferous forests
Elevation (100–)1200–2900 m ((300–)3900–9500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; Mexico (Baja California)
[BONAP county map]
North America; Mexico; Eurasia
Discussion

Species ca. 58 (51 in the flora).

Subgenus Symphyotrichum has been divided into three sections: sect. Conyzopsis (x = 7), sect. Symphyotrichum (including sect. Turbinelli) (x = 8), and sect. Occidentales (x = 8). Relationships among sections remain unresolved, and it is uncertain whether sect. Symphyotrichum, for instance, is monophyletic as defined here or elsewhere (e.g., G. L. Nesom 1994b).

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 535. FNA vol. 20, p. 498.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Symphyotrichum > subg. Symphyotrichum > sect. Occidentales > Symphyotrichum spathulatum Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Symphyotrichum
Sibling taxa
S. spathulatum var. intermedium, S. spathulatum var. yosemitanum
Subordinate taxa
Synonyms Aster occidentalis
Name authority unknown unknown
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