Symphyotrichum cordifolium

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Symphyotrichum cordifolium
Heartleaf aster 1.jpg
Heartleaf aster
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Astereae
Subtribe: Symphyotrichinae
Genus: Symphyotrichum
Subgenus: Symphyotrichum subg. Symphyotrichum
Section: Symphyotrichum sect. Symphyotrichum
Species:
S. cordifolium
Binomial name
Symphyotrichum cordifolium
Symphyotrichum cordifolium distribution.png
Native distribution [2]
Synonyms [2]

Basionym

  • Aster cordifoliusL.
Alphabetical list
    • Aster cordifolius var. alvearius E.S.Burgess
    • Aster cordifolius var. furbishiae Fernald
    • Aster cordifolius var. glabratus Hollick & Britton
    • Aster cordifolius var. incisus Britton
    • Aster cordifolius var. laevigatus Porter
    • Aster cordifolius subsp. laevigatus (Porter) A.G.Jones
    • Aster cordifolius var. lanceolatus Porter
    • Aster cordifolius var. moratus Shinners
    • Aster cordifolius var. pedicellatus E.S.Burgess
    • Aster cordifolius var. polycephalus Porter
    • Aster cordifolius var. racemiflorus Fernald
    • Aster cordifolius var. sagittifolius (Willd.) A.G.Jones
    • Aster cordifolius subsp. sagittifolius (Wedem. ex Willd.) A.G.Jones
    • Aster finkii var. moratus Shinners
    • Aster heterophyllus Willd.
    • Aster heterophyllus var. glabriusculus DC.
    • Aster heterophyllus var. scaber DC.
    • Aster leiophyllus Porter
    • Aster leiophyllus var. incisus Porter
    • Aster leiophyllus var. lanceolatus Porter
    • Aster lowrieanus Porter
    • Aster lowrieanus var. bicknellii Porter
    • Aster lowrieanus var. incisus Porter
    • Aster lowrieanus var. lanceolatus Porter
    • Aster lowrieanus var. lancifolius Porter
    • Aster pallidulus B.Vogel
    • Aster plumarius E.S.Burgess
    • Aster pubescens Nees
    • Aster sagittifolius Wedem. ex Willd.
    • Aster sagittifolius f. albiflorus Moldenke
    • Leiachenis cordifolia Raf.
    • Solidago cordifolia Moench
    • Symphyotrichum cordifolium var. furbishiae (Fernald) G.L.Nesom
    • Symphyotrichum cordifolium var. lanceolatum (Porter) G.L.Nesom
    • Symphyotrichum cordifolium var. moratum (Shinners) G.L.Nesom
    • Symphyotrichum cordifolium var. polycephalum (Porter) G.L.Nesom
    • Symphyotrichum cordifolium var. racemiflorum (Fernald) G.L.Nesom
    • Symphyotrichum lowrieanum (Porter) G.L.Nesom
    • Symphyotrichum sagittifolium (Wedem. ex Willd.) G.L.Nesom

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (formerly Aster cordifolius), commonly known as common blue wood aster, heartleaf aster, [3] and blue wood-aster, [4] is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to central and eastern North America. It reaches heights of up to 1.2 meters (4 feet) and has bluish daisy-like flowers which bloom late-summer and fall in its range.

Contents

Description

Symphyotrichum cordifolium reaches heights of up to 1.2 meters (4 feet). The lower leaves are heart-shaped, while leaves higher on the stem tend to be sessile with more rounded bases. The composite flowers, which have bluish to rarely white ray florets and light yellow disc florets that eventually turn purple, emerge in August and persist into October. [3]

Chromosomes

S. cordifolium has a chromosome base number of x = 8. Diploid and tetraploid cytotypes with respective counts of 16 and 32 have been reported. [3]

Taxonomy

Symphyotrichum cordifolium is classified in the subgenus Symphyotrichum, section Symphyotrichum. [5] The species was first formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 as Aster cordifolius. [6]

S. cordifolium botanical illustration from Addisonia, New York Botanical Garden (1917). Addisonia (PLATE 080) (8577498086).jpg
S. cordifolium botanical illustration from Addisonia, New York Botanical Garden (1917).

Hybrids

Where the range of Symphyotrichum cordifolium overlaps with that of S. puniceum , the F1 hybrid named Symphyotrichum × tardiflorum can occur. Symphyotrichum × schistosum is the hybrid of S. cordifolium and S. laeve var. laeve. [3]

A hybrid of S. cordifolium and S. shortii may occur, and this has been named Symphyotrichum × finkii. Hybrids with S. drummondii and S. urophyllum have been reported but not confirmed. [3]

Species classifications


Distribution and habitat

Symphyotrichum cordifolium occurs from Manitoba, east to Nova Scotia and Maine, south to Georgia and Alabama, and west to Oklahoma. It was once introduced in British Columbia but did not persist. [3] It is an introduced species in Great Britain and Norway. [2]

It grows primarily in mesic sites with soils that are rocky to loamy but generally rich, at heights ranging from sea level along the coastal plain up to 1,200 m (3,900 ft) in the Appalachian Mountains. It can be found on open wooded slopes, along the banks of streams, on moist ledges, in swampy woods, along the borders of beech–maple forests and oak–hickory forests, as well as in clearings, thickets, and along roadsides and ditches. It also can be found in urban areas where it is sometimes considered a weed species. [3]

Ecology

Reproduction

Symphyotrichum cordifolium reproduces vegetatively via short rhizomes, as well as via wind-dispersed seeds. The ray florets of species in the Symphyotrichum genus are exclusively female, each having a pistil but no stamen, while disk florets are bisexual, each with both male and female reproductive parts. [7]

Pests and diseases

Puccinia dioicae on a leaf of Taraxacum officinale Puccinia dioicae OPN5 (3).jpg
Puccinia dioicae on a leaf of Taraxacum officinale

Two rusts have been recorded on S. cordifolium: the brown rust Puccinia dioicae and the red rust Coleosporium asterum . [8]

Conservation

Symphyotrichum cordifolium has coefficients of conservatism (C-values) in the Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) that range from 2 to 8 depending on evaluation region. [9] The lower the C-value, the higher tolerance the species has for disturbance and the lesser the likelihood that it is growing in a presettlement natural community. [10] In the Dakotas, for example, S. cordifolium has a C-value of 8, meaning its populations there are found in high-quality remnant natural areas with little environmental degradation but can tolerate some periodic disturbance. [11] In contrast, in the Laurentian plains and hills of Maine and New Brunswick, it has been given a C-value of 2, meaning its presence in locations of that ecoregion provides little confidence of a remnant habitat. [12]

As of July 2021, NatureServe listed Symphyotrichum cordifolium as Secure (G5) worldwide, Critically Imperiled (S1) in Kansas, and Vulnerable (S3) in Delaware and Missouri. [1]

Uses

Medicinal

The Ojibwe have used S. cordifolium to make an incense to attract deer. [13]

Gardening

Symphyotrichum cordifolium is cultivated as a garden plant under its current name and the older name Aster cordifolius. Several cultivars have been selected for garden use, and the following have achieved the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit: [14]

Citations

Related Research Articles

<i>Symphyotrichum novae-angliae</i> Species of flowering plant in family Asteraceae

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae is a species of flowering plant in the aster family (Asteraceae) native to central and eastern North America. Commonly known as New England aster, hairy Michaelmas-daisy, or Michaelmas daisy, it is a perennial, herbaceous plant usually between 30 and 120 centimeters tall and 60 to 90 cm wide.

<i>Symphyotrichum</i> Genus of flowering plants in family Asteraceae

Symphyotrichum is a genus of over 100 species and naturally occurring hybrids of herbaceous annual and perennial plants in the composite family, Asteraceae, most which were formerly treated within the genus Aster. The majority are endemic to North America, but several also occur in the West Indies, Central and South America, as well as one species in eastern Eurasia. Several species have been introduced to Europe as garden specimens, most notably New England aster and New York aster.

<i>Symphyotrichum puniceum</i> Species of flowering plant in family Asteraceae

Symphyotrichum puniceum, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to eastern North America. It is commonly known as purplestem aster, red-stalk aster, red-stemmed aster, red-stem aster, and swamp aster. It also has been called early purple aster, cocash, swanweed, and meadow scabish.

<i>Symphyotrichum ericoides</i> Species of flowering plant in family Asteraceae

Symphyotrichum ericoides, known as white heath aster, frost aster, or heath aster, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to much of central and eastern North America. It has been introduced to parts of Europe and western Asia.

<i>Symphyotrichum novi-belgii</i> Species of flowering plant in family Asteraceae

Symphyotrichum novi-belgii, commonly called New York aster, is a species of flowering plant. It is the type species for Symphyotrichum, a genus in the family Asteraceae, whose species were once considered to be part of the genus Aster. Plants in both these genera are popularly known as Michaelmas daisy because they bloom around September 29, St. Michael’s Day.

<i>Symphyotrichum laeve</i> Species of flowering plant in family Asteraceae

Symphyotrichum laeve is a flowering plant native to Canada, the United States, and Coahuila (Mexico). It has the common names of smooth blue aster, smooth aster, smooth-leaved aster, glaucous Michaelmas-daisy and glaucous aster.

<i>Symphyotrichum lateriflorum</i> Species of flowering plant in family Asteraceae

Symphyotrichum lateriflorum is a species of flowering plant in the aster family (Asteraceae). Commonly known as calico aster, starved aster, and white woodland aster, it is native to eastern and central North America. It is a perennial and herbaceous plant that may reach heights up to 120 centimeters and widths up to 30 centimeters.

<i>Symphyotrichum defoliatum</i> Species of flowering plant in family Asteraceae

Symphyotrichum defoliatum is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name San Bernardino aster. It is endemic to Southern California where it grows in grasslands and meadows, and it is of conservation concern.

<i>Symphyotrichum pilosum</i> Species of flowering plant in family Asteraceae

Symphyotrichum pilosum is a perennial, herbaceous, flowering plant in the Asteraceae family native to central and eastern North America. It is commonly called hairy white oldfield aster, frost aster, white heath aster, heath aster, hairy aster, common old field aster, old field aster, awl aster, nailrod, and steelweed. There are two varieties: Symphyotrichumpilosum var.pilosum, known by the common names previously listed, and Symphyotrichumpilosum var.pringlei, known as Pringle's aster. Both varieties are conservationally secure globally and in most provinces and states where they are native.

<i>Symphyotrichum lanceolatum</i> Species of flowering plant in family Asteraceae

Symphyotrichum lanceolatum is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to North America. Common names include panicled aster, lance-leaved aster, and white panicled aster. It is a perennial, herbaceous plant that may reach 1.5 meters tall or more, sometimes approaching 2 m. The lance-shaped leaves are generally hairless but may feel slightly rough to the touch on the top because of tiny bristles. The flowers grow in clusters and branch in panicles. They have 16–50 white ray florets that are up to 14 millimeters long and sometimes tinged pink or purple. The flower centers consist of disk florets that begin as yellow and become purple as they mature.

<i>Symphyotrichum shortii</i> Species of flowering plant in family Asteraceae

Symphyotrichum shortii, commonly called Short's aster, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to North America, where it is primarily found in interior areas east of the Mississippi River. Its natural habitat is in thin rocky soils of woodlands and thickets often around limestone bluffs. It is common throughout much of its range, although it is generally restricted to intact natural communities.

<i>Symphyotrichum urophyllum</i> Species of flowering plant in family Asteraceae

Symphyotrichum urophyllum is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to eastern North America, commonly known as arrowleaf aster.

<i>Symphyotrichum robynsianum</i> Species of flowering plant in family Asteraceae

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<i>Symphyotrichum simmondsii</i> Species of flowering plant in family Asteraceae

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<i>Symphyotrichum turbinellum</i> Species of flowering plant in family Asteraceae

Symphyotrichum turbinellum, with the common names of prairie aster, smooth violet prairie aster, and mauve-flowered starwort, is a species of perennial flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to the United States in Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, primarily in the Ozarks. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. It flowers from August to October.

<i>Symphyotrichum retroflexum</i> Species of flowering plant in family Asteraceae

Symphyotrichum retroflexum is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to the southeastern United States. Commonly known as rigid whitetop aster, it is a perennial, herbaceous plant that may reach 40 to 100 centimeters tall. Its flowers have blue to purple ray florets and cream to pale yellow then pinkish disk florets. It is known only from the Blue Ridge Mountains in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, where it grows in wooded areas at elevations of 400–1,500 meters. As of September 2021, NatureServe classified it as Apparently Secure (G4); it had been reviewed last in 1994 and is marked as "needs review". There is an introduced presence of S. retroflexum in southeast China.

<i>Symphyotrichum anomalum</i> Species of flowering plant in family Asteraceae

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<i>Symphyotrichum chapmanii</i> Species of flowering plant in family Asteraceae

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<i>Symphyotrichum kentuckiense</i> Species of flowering plant in family Asteraceae

Symphyotrichum kentuckiense is a rare species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family and is commonly known as Kentucky aster, Price's aster, Miss Price's aster, Sadie's aster, or lavender oldfield aster. It is a perennial, herbaceous plant that is endemic to broken limestone cedar glades and roadsides in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. It blooms from August through October, reaches heights between 30 centimeters and 100 cm (3.3 ft), and has green to reddish-brown stems. It is a nearly hairless plant with blue to blue-violet ray florets.

References