Symphyotrichum oblongifolium - (image 1 of 5)
Taxonomy
Family: Asteraceae
Habitat
Dry, usually open places.
Associates
Distribution
PA and DC, south in mountains to NC and northern AL, west to ND, WY, and NM.
Morphology
Herbaceous perennial, rhizomatous and sometimes also with a short caudex; stems 10-100 cm, rigid, brittle, usually branched, glandular and commonly also hairy or scabrous; leaves firm, sessile and more or less auriculate-clasping, narrowly to broadly oblong or lance-oblong, scabrous or short-hirsute to glabrous except for the margins; lower leaves soon deciduous, the upper numerous and reduced to spreading bracts; heads several to many, terminating the branches; involucre glandular, 5-8 mm; involucral bracts in several series but not strongly imbricate, firm, the tips long, green, loose or spreading, acute or acuminate; rays 15-40, blue or purple, sometimes rose, 1-1.5 cm.
Notes
Flowers August to November
Wetland Indicator: NA
This species blooms later in the season than many other asters. The stems and especially the flower heads are densely glandular and aromatic.
References
Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY
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© Michael Hough 2018 |