Symphyotrichum tenuifolium

Symphyotrichum tenuifolium (L.) G. L. Nesom is native to the eastern coast of the United States and in the West Indies. Along the Gulf of Mexico Coast in central and northern peninsular Florida, var. tenuifolium and var. aphyllum intergrade in nearly all characters (S. D. Sundberg 2004). Nesom (2005) treated the varieties as species as did Brouillet et al. (2006).

Stems 1, rhizomes long; mid leaves (1.5–)3–6 mm wide; involucres 6–9.5(–11) mm; ray florets (12–)17–25; disc florets 25–45(–54), corollas (4–)4.7–6(–6.5) mm; cypselae 2.8–4(–4.5) mm; pappi 5–6.1 mm           var. tenuifolium

Stems 1–5+ (clustered), rhizomes short; mid leaves (1–)1.5–2.7 mm wide; involucres 4.1–5.3 mm; ray florets 10–16; disc florets (10–)13–23, corollas 3.4–4.6 mm; cypselae 1.5–2(–2.5) mm; pappi 3–4.4 mm     var. aphyllum

Nesom, G.L.  2005.  Taxonomy of the Symphyotrichum (Aster) subulatum group and Symphyotrichum (Aster) tenuifolium (Asteraceae: Astereae).  Sida 21: 2125–2140.

Brouillet, L., J.C. Semple, G.A. Allen,  K. Chambers and S. Sundberg. 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.

Last revised 16 May 2025 by J.C. Semple

© 2025 J.C. Semple, including all photographs unless otherwise indicated