Synonyms: Aster ciliatus Muhlenberg ex Willdenow Aster ericoides var. prostratus Barton Aster exiguus Rydberg Aster hebecladus de Candolle Aster multiflorus Aiton Aster multiflorus var. ciliatus Fernald Aster multiflorus var. exiguus Kuntze Aster multiflorus var. prostratus (Kuntze) G. L. Nesom Aster polycephalus Aster scoparius Symphyotrichum ericoides var. prostratum
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 20. Treatment on page 495. Mentioned on page 487.

Plants densely to diffusely colonial; strongly rhizomatous, not cormoid. Stems 1, decumbent to erect. Involucres cylindro-campanulate (fresh). 2n = 10, 20.


Phenology: Flowering Aug–Oct(–Nov).
Habitat: Open, dry to moist, well drained, sandy or gravelly, disturbed soils, prairies, glades, dunes, fields, shores, railroad rights-of-way, roadsides
Elevation: 30–2200 m

Distribution

V20-1111-distribution-map.gif

Man., Ont., Que., Ariz., Ark., Colo., Conn., Del., D.C., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., Pa., R.I., S.Dak., Tex., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis., Mexico (Coahuila), Mexico (Nuevo León)

Discussion

Variety ericoides is introduced in Quebec and possibly also in Tennessee. It was treated as a subspecies with two weakly separated varieties distinguished by stem and indument traits by A. G. Jones (1978). Plants with sparsely strigose stems with the hairs spreading to ascending were treated as var. ericoides. Plants with densely divaricate-hirsute stems and slightly smaller heads were treated as var. prostratum. Both indument types can be found on the same stem and there is considerable overlap in the range of values of floret traits. Diploids are found throughout the range; tetraploids occur on the Great Plains. The following forms are not recognized here: Aster ericoides forma prostratus (Kuntze) Fernald and forma exiguus (Fernald) Fernald.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
not tailed +, rounded +  and obtuse +
white-spine-tipped +
distinct +
spreading +  and reflexed or squarrose +
acute;obtuse;acute;rounded;obtuse +
subequal +
usually triangular +  and linear +
usually deltate +  and lanceolate +
paniculiform +
indeterminate +  and determinate +
Luc Brouillet +, John C. Semple +, Geraldine A. Allen +, Kenton L. Chambers +  and Scott D. Sundberg† +
(Linnaeus) G. L. Nesom +
linear-oblanceolate;obovate;oblanceolate +
subclasping +  and clasping +
cuneate +  and attenuate +
indurate +
Aster ericoides +
3-nerved +, subpetiolate +  and sessile +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
oblong-ovate;linear;lanceolate or oblong +
reduced +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
rugulose +  and muricate +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
appressed +  and ascending +
linear +  and narrowly lanceolate +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
secund +  and racemiform +
crowded +, arrays +  and fastigiate +
pyramidal +
barbellulate +  and barbellate +
branched +, cormoid +  and rhizomatous +
not 2-lipped +  and actinomorphic +
yellow becoming brown +, bluish +, pink +  and white +
at maturity , more or less ampliate , tubes usually shorter +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
beaked +, 2-ribbed +  and 5-ribbed +
purple turning brown +
0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
not compressed +, falcate +, obovoid +  and oblong-obovoid +
0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br /> (0.06 cm0.6 mm <br />6.0e-4 m <br />) +
fertile +  and bisexual +
fertile +  and bisexual +
Man. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Ariz. +, Ark. +, Colo. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Nebr. +, N.J. +, N.Mex. +, N.Y. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.Dak. +, Tex. +, Vt. +, Va. +, W.Va. +, Wis. +, Mexico (Coahuila) +  and Mexico (Nuevo León) +
30–2200 m +
strigillose +, sericeous +, glabrous +, scabroso-hirsute +, hispid +, strigose +, hirsute +  and hairy +
pistillate +, staminate +  and neuter +
winged +  and beaked +
dispersed +
Open, dry to moist, well drained, sandy or gravelly, disturbed soils, prairies, glades, dunes, fields, shores, railroad rights-of-way, roadsides +
disciform +  and radiate +
indeterminate +
heterogamous +  and homogamous +
each +  and sessile +
0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br />) +
cylindro-campanulate +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
0.7mm;1.2mm +
sessile +  and petiolate +
cauline +  and basal +
decurrent +
triangular +
entire +  and serrate +
ciliate +  and scabrous +
entire +, crenate +  and serrate +
2-carpellate +
persistent +
25 +  and 40 +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
Flowering Aug–Oct(–Nov). +
oblanceolate +  and more or less spatulate +
styliferous +, neuter +  and pistillate +
bearing subulate enations +, hairy +  and bristly +
flat;slightly convex +
exalbuminous +
branched +  and simple +
decumbent +  and erect +
glabrescent +  and hispido-strigose +
appendaged +  and truncate +
papillate +  and smooth +
Aster ciliatus +, Aster ericoides var. prostratus +, Aster exiguus +, Aster hebecladus +, Aster multiflorus +, Aster multiflorus var. ciliatus +, Aster multiflorus var. exiguus +, Aster multiflorus var. prostratus +, Aster polycephalus +, Aster scoparius +  and Symphyotrichum ericoides var. prostratum +
Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides +
Symphyotrichum ericoides +
variety +
at maturity , more or less ampliate , tubes usually shorter +
ampliate +
branched +  and eglandular +
80 cm800 mm <br />0.8 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
cespitose +  and colonial +
stipitate-glandular +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (80 cm800 mm <br />0.8 m <br />) +
not cormoid +  and rhizomatous +
plant +  and colonial +
diamond--shaped +