Symphyotrichum patens

Late purple Aster, Spreading Aster

Symphyotrichum patens (Ait.) G.L. Nesom is distinguished by its elongated rhizomes, thick firm strongly cordate-clasping to auriculate upper stem leaves with margins flat (not undulate), inflorescence branches that arise at near right-angles before ascending, and yellow to white disc corollas  turning purplish with age (Brouillet et al. 2006 FNA).  The species is variable in phyllary hair and gland traits and is divided into three varieties:

  • var. gracile (involucres campanulate, 5.5–6.5 mm; plants slender; mid phyllaries 0.7–1 mm, faces densely strigillose, sparsely stipitate-glandular)
  • var. patens (involucres campanulate, 6–7.5 mm; plants robust; mid phyllaries 1–1.2 mm, faces densely glandular and sparsely strigillose)
  • var. patentissimum (involucres turbinate, 8–12 mm; phyllaries in 5–7 series, appressed, obtuse, densely strigillose to canescent, eglandular or sparsely glandular)

Jones, R. L. 1980.  A revision of  Aster section Patentes (Compositae).  Ph.D. dissertation. Vanderbilt University.  Nashville.

Last updated 24 February 2014 by J.C. Semple

© 2014 J.C. Semple, including all photographs unless otherwise indicated