Symphyotrichum ericoides | |
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S. ericoides in Green Lake County, Wisconsin | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Asterales |
Family: | Asteraceae |
Tribe: | Astereae |
Subtribe: | Symphyotrichinae |
Genus: | Symphyotrichum |
Subgenus: | Symphyotrichum subg. Virgulus |
Species: | S. ericoides |
Binomial name | |
Symphyotrichum ericoides | |
Varieties [2] | |
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Native distribution [2] [3] | |
Synonyms [2] | |
Basionym
Species
var. pansum
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Symphyotrichum ericoides (formerly Aster ericoides), with common names white heath aster, [4] frost aster, [5] and heath aster, [6] 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. [2]
The naturally-occurring hybrid species of Symphyotrichum ericoides and Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England aster) is named Symphyotrichum × amethystinum and has the common name amethyst aster. It can grow where the two parents are in close proximity.
S. ericoides is a perennial herbaceous plant with stems from 30 to 91 centimeters (1 to 3 feet) tall. [6] Its leaves are sessile (stalkless) and narrow, becoming smaller towards the top of the plant and tips of the branching stem. It has white (rarely pinkish), flower heads with yellow centers that begin blooming in late summer and last through fall. [7] [8] They are 8 to 10 millimeters (1⁄3 to 1⁄2 inch) across. [6] [5]
It is commonly confused with Symphyotrichum pilosum , which co-occurs throughout most of its range. [7] [9] [2] [10] S. pilosum has larger flower heads with longer ray petals. The phyllaries on S. pilosum are spine-tipped, while those of S. ericoides are not, although the curled edges may make them appear to be. [7]
Symphyotrichum ericoides has two varieties: S. ericoides var. ericoides, which spreads by underground rhizomes to form colonies, and S. ericoides var. pansum(S.F.Blake) G.L.Nesom, which is cespitose, remaining in a clump, and has corm-like caudices. [3] [11]
F1 hybridization with Symphyotrichum novae-angliae can occur where the ranges of these two species overlap. The hybrid is called Symphyotrichum × amethystinum (amethyst aster) [12] and is intermediate between the parent species in most respects. [13]
Symphyotrichum ericoides grows from Canada across much of the United States into the Mexican states of Coahuila and Nuevo León. [7] The variety S. ericoides var. ericoides prefers open locations with sandy, gravelly, or disturbed soil. [3]
As of October 2022 [update] , NatureServe listed S. ericoides as Secure (G5) globally, last reviewed on 16 May 2016. On a US state and Canadian province and territory basis, it listed the species as Vulnerable (S3) in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia; Imperiled (S2) in Mississippi; Critically Imperiled (S1) in Georgia and Kentucky; Apparently Secure (S4) in Iowa, Manitoba, Maryland, and Northwest Territories; and, Secure (S5) in Alberta, British Columbia, Montana, New York, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. It is reported as an Exotic in Québec. The remaining states, territories, and provinces have not been ranked. [1]
Symphyotrichum ericoides has been used for medicinal purposes among Indigenous peoples of the Americas. It has been documented that the Meskwaki have used the plant both to revive an unconscious person [14] and in a sweatbath as an herbal steam. [15]
Cultivars of Symphyotrichum ericoides are planted in gardens. Plants sold in the horticultural trade labeled as Aster ericoides, the old name of the plant, are usually cultivars or hybrids involving the species S. dumosum , S. lateriflorum , S. pilosum , or S. racemosum , a mistake that has occurred continuously since the 19th century. [7]
The following are cultivars of S. ericoides that have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit: [16]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Symphyotrichum cordifolium, commonly known as common blue wood aster, heartleaf aster, and blue wood-aster, 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 and has bluish daisy-like flowers which bloom late-summer and fall in its range.
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.
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.
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.
Symphyotrichum falcatum is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. Commonly called white prairie aster and western heath aster, it is native to a widespread area of central and western North America.
Symphyotrichum dumosum is a species of flowering plant of the family Asteraceae commonly known as rice button aster and bushy aster. It is native to much of eastern and central North America, as well as Haiti and Dominican Republic. It is a perennial, herbaceous plant that may reach a height of 1 meter.
Symphyotrichum subulatum, commonly known as eastern annual saltmarsh aster or, in Britain and Ireland where it is naturalized, annual saltmarsh aster, is an annual plant in the family Asteraceae native to the eastern United States and the Gulf Coast to Texas. The species grows primarily in coastal salt marshes, although in the Ozarks it occurs as a non-marine weedy variety.
Symphyotrichum urophyllum is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to eastern North America, commonly known as arrowleaf aster.
John Cameron Semple is a botanist, cytotaxonomist, professor emeritus, and adjunct professor at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. He was born in Boston and earned a degree of Bachelor of Science in 1969 from Tufts University, followed in 1971 and 1972 by Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Washington University in St. Louis. Semple is known for his work with members of the tribe Astereae, particularly goldenrods, American asters, and goldenasters, and he maintains the University of Waterloo Astereae Lab website. Semple's wife is Brenda, and in 2013, he named a newly discovered goldenrod species Solidago brendiae in honor of her.
Symphyotrichum drummondii is a species of flowering plant of the family Asteraceae native to the central and eastern United States. It is a perennial, herbaceous plant that may reach 120 centimeters in height. The common name Drummond's aster has been used for S. drummondii.
Symphyotrichum simmondsii is a species of flowering plant of the family Asteraceae endemic to the southeastern United States. Commonly known as Simmonds' aster, it is a colony-forming herbaceous perennial.
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.
Symphyotrichum tenuifolium is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is commonly known as perennial saltmarsh aster. It is a perennial and herbaceous plant native to the eastern United States and the West Indies. There is one variety, S. tenuifolium var. aphyllum in addition to the autonym S. tenuifolium var. tenuifolium.
Symphyotrichum spathulatum is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to western North America including northwestern Mexico. Commonly known as western mountain aster, it is a perennial, herbaceous plant that may reach 20 to 80 centimeters tall. Its flowers, which open in July and August, have violet ray florets and yellow disk florets.