Doellingeria umbellata var. pubens

Hairy Tall Flat-topped White Aster, aster pubescent

Doellingeria umbellata var. pubens (A. Gray) Britt. is distinguished by its leaves with moderately to densely short-hairy undersurfaces (Semple and Chmielewski 2006 FNA).  The entire plant can be covered in short hairs.  The range extends further west than that of var. umbellata and not as far south.  Disjunct populations occur in Alberta separate from the main area of distribution from Manitoba to northern Ontario south to Nebraska east to Illinois. Aster umbellatus Mill. var. pubens A. Gray, Synop. Fl. N. Amer. 1,2: 197. 1884. The variety is sometimes treated at the species as Doellingeria pubens (Mill). Rydb. or Aster pubentior Cronq. and as a subspecies Doellingeria umbellata (Mill.) Nees ssp. pubens (A. Gray) Löve & Löve. The variety is diploid 2n=18.