Symphyotrichum lanceolatum var. hesperium

Western Panicled Aster

Symphyotrichum lanceolatum (Willd.) Nesom var. hesperium (Gray) Nesom is native along streams and banks in prairies, wet meadows, open conifer forests in montane zone, and roadside ditches across the prairies, boreal forests and mountains of western Canada and near James Bay in Québec and the US (Brouillet et al. 2006; FNA). Ray florets are usually pale to dark purplish blue, sometimes white, while rays in the other varieties in the Sy. lanceolatum are usually or always white. The variety has also been treated as Symphyotrichum hesperium (A. Gray) Löve & Löve, Aster lanceolatus Willd. ssp. hesperius (Gray) Semple & Chmielewski, Aster ensatus Greene, Aster osterhoutii Rydb., Aster fluvialis Osterhout, A. lautus Lunell, Aster hesperius A. Gray var. wootonii Greene, Aster wootonii (Greene) Greene, and Aster coerulescens DC. var. wootonii (Greene) Wieg. The variety is hexaploid 2n=64 throughout its range.