Page authors: Don Knoke, David Giblin
Symphyotrichum ciliatum
alkali American aster, rayless alkali aster, rayless annual aster
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in northern Washington; British Columbia to northern Washington, east across Canada and the northern U.S. to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Moist to dry open forest and meadows.

Flowers: August-September

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bees, flies, butterflies

Description:
General:

Simple or much-branched annual from a taproot, the stem 1-7 dm. tall, glabrous.

Leaves:

Leaves alternate, linear, 3-12 cm. long and 1-9 mm. wide, entire, the lower soon deciduous, with a few, coarse hairs on the margins.

Flowers:

Heads several in a paniculate inflorescence; involucre 5-11 mm. high, its bracts loose, linear, pointed, herbaceous, slightly imbricate; outer pistillate flowers numerous, with tubular-filiform corolla, not ray-like, the style much longer than the corolla; pappus of capillary bristles, soft and copious, longer that the corollas.

Fruits:

Achene

Accepted Name:
Symphyotrichum ciliatum (Ledeb.) G.L. Nesom
Publication: Phytologia. 77: 277. 1995.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
Aster brachyactis S.F. Blake [HC]
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Symphyotrichum ciliatum in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.

WA Flora Checklist: Symphyotrichum ciliatum checklist entry.

OregonFlora: Symphyotrichum ciliatum information.

E-Flora BC: Symphyotrichum ciliatum atlas page.

CalPhotos: Symphyotrichum ciliatum photos.

USDA Plants: Symphyotrichum ciliatum information.

10 photographs:
Group by