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Price's Aster, Kentucky Aster, Lavender Oldfield Aster
Symphyotrichum kentuckiense (Britt.) Medley is native to limestone cedar glades and broken limestone roadsides in southern Kentucky, central Tennessee, northern Alabama, and northwestern Georgia (Brouillet et al. 2006; FNA as Sy. priceae). Medley (2021) noted that the type material of Aster priceae did not match the always glabrous plants he observed in the field and was likely of hybrid origin involving S. pilosum var. pilosum while type material of Aster kentuckiensis Britt. did match with plants in the field. This is the only species in subsect. Porteriani that usually has blue-violet rays (pink and white morphs occur) and is the only octoploid (2n=64) in the subsection. The phyllaries are long tapering. The stems and leaf surfaces are hairless. It can grow sympatrically with S. pilosum.
Symphyotrichum kentuckiense blooms earlier than S. pilosum var. pilosum.
Symphyotrichum kentuckiense, glade habitat, Semple & Chmielewski 9126 WAT, Davidson Co., Tennessee
Symphyotrichum priceae, habit, Semple & Chmielewski 9126 WAT, Davidson Co., Tennessee
Symphyotrichum kentuckiense, procumbent shoot, Semple & Chmielewski 9126 WAT, Davidson Co., Tennessee
Symphyotrichum kentuckienseae, heads, Semple & Chmielewski 9126 WAT, Tennessee
Symphyotrichum kentuckiense range draft JCS
Brouillet, L., J.C. Semple, G.A. Allen, K. Chambers and S. Sundburg. 2006. Symphyotrichum Nees. pp. 465-539. In Flora North America Editorial Committee, eds. Flora of North America. Vol. 20. Asteraceae, Part 2. Astereae and Senecioneae. Oxford University Press, New York.
Medley, M.E. 2021. Aster priceae and A. kentuckiensis (Asteraceae): Nomenclatural history and a new binomial for Price’s aster. Phytoneuron 2021-18: 1–3.
Revised 17 May 2021 by J.C. Semple
© 2021 J.C. Semple, including all photographs unless otherwise indicated