Symphyotrichum shortii

(Lindley) G. L. Nesom

Phytologia 77: 291. 1995.

Common names: Short’s aster
Endemic
Basionym: Aster shortii Lindley in W. J. Hooker, Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 9. 1834
Synonyms: Aster camptosorus Small
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 20. Treatment on page 505. Mentioned on page 471, 474, 500, 502, 504, 506.

Perennials, 30–150 cm, cespitose; short-rhizomatous or with ± woody caudices. Stems 1–5+, ascending to erect (straight, sometimes stout), proximally glabrous, distally ± densely hirtellous. Leaves thin, margins often slightly revolute, scabrous, apices mucronate or mucronulate, abaxial faces sparsely to moderately hispid, especially along veins, adaxial glabrous (midveins scabrous, veins marked) to strigoso-hispid (basal); basal withering by flowering (new winter rosette sometimes developing), petiolate (petioles 1–2 times as long as blades, sometimes narrowly winged, sheathing, densely pilose or hirsute), blades ovate to lanceovate, 10–60 × 10–35 mm, deeply to shallowly cordate or rounded, margins crenate or crenate-serrate, apices obtuse to acute; proximal cauline mostly persistent, narrowly petiolate (petioles slender, progressively reduced distally, bases at most slightly clasping), blades ovate to lanceolate, 50–150 × 20–60 (–70) mm, progressively reduced distally, bases shallowly cordate to subcordate, truncate, or rounded, sometimes oblique, margins entire, scabrous or shallowly crenate-serrate (proximal), apices acute to acuminate; distal short-petiolate (petioles sometimes narrowly winged, sometimes slightly clasping) or sessile (distalmost, rameal), blades ovate to lanceolate (rameal lance-linear to linear, sharply smaller), 8–80 × 1–40 mm, gradually reduced distally, bases rounded to cuneate or attenuate, margins entire to subentire, apices acute to acuminate. Heads usually in open, diffuse to narrow, paniculiform arrays, sometimes racemiform, branches widely spreading, usually divaricate to arching, sometimes ascending, sometimes ± secund, abundantly leafy. Peduncles 0.2–3 (–5) cm, densely hirtellous, bracts 3–10+, ovate or lanceolate to subulate, grading into phyllaries. Involucres cylindro-campanulate, 4–6 mm. Phyllaries in 4–5 (–6) series, appressed, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate (outer) to linear-lanceolate or linear (inner), strongly unequal, bases indurate 1/2–5/6, margins scarious, erose, hyaline, ciliolate, green zones lanceolate to diamond-shaped (midveins below green zone sometimes inflated and brownish), apices acute to acuminate, often involute, mucronulate, faces strigilloso-hirsutulous. Ray-florets 13–15 (–20); corollas usually blue or purple-blue, seldom pinkish or white, laminae (10–) 11–16 × 1.3–3.1 mm. Disc-florets 16–23 (–28?); corollas light yellow becoming reddish purple, 4.6–7 mm, tubes shorter than funnelform throats, lobes lanceolate, 0.4–1.1 mm. Cypselae dull purple or brown, oblong-obovoid, compressed, 2.5–3.7 mm, 4–7-nerved, faces glabrous; pappi reddish-brown, tawny, or rose-tinged, 4–6.2 mm. 2n = 16, 32.


Phenology: Flowering Aug–Oct.
Habitat: Open, often thin, rocky, well-drained soils, oak-hickory woods, edges of woods, thickets, calcareous hammocks, wooded stream banks or cliffs, roadsides
Elevation: 100–500 m

Distribution

V20-1129-distribution-map.gif

Ont., Ala., Ark., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Ky., Md., Mich., Minn., Miss., N.C., Pa., Tenn., Va., W.Va., Wis.

Discussion

Symphyotrichum shortii is of conservation concern along the whole periphery of its range, notably in Canada; there is a report from the District of Columbia but the species is not established there. Aster shortii Lindley forma gronemannii Benke is a roseate phenotype, and forma candidus Benke a white one, forma shortii being the normal blue or purple one. They are not recognized here.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thin" is not a number.

... more about "Symphyotrichum shortii"
glabrous +  and strigoso-hispid +
not tailed +, rounded +  and obtuse +
distinct +
10mm;60mm +
mucronulate;acute;acuminate +
subequal +
scarious +
10mm +  and 35mm +
usually triangular +  and linear +
usually deltate +  and lanceolate +
racemiform +, paniculiform +  and open +
indeterminate +  and determinate +
Luc Brouillet +, John C. Semple +, Geraldine A. Allen +, Kenton L. Chambers +  and Scott D. Sundberg† +
(Lindley) G. L. Nesom +
spatulate;oblanceolate elliptic or ovate +
rounded +  and cuneate or attenuate +
indurate +
Aster shortii +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
ovate;lanceolate +
reduced +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
rugulose +  and muricate +
lanceolate +  and subulate +
racemiform +, paniculiform +  and open +
barbellulate +  and barbellate +
sessile +  and petiolate +
Short’s aster +
not 2-lipped +  and actinomorphic +
light yellow becoming reddish purple +, white +, pinkish +, purple-blue +  and blue +
at maturity , more or less ampliate , tubes usually shorter +
0.46 cm4.6 mm <br />0.0046 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
beaked +, 2-ribbed +  and 5-ribbed +
brown +, purple +  and dull +
strigillose +  and glabrous +
compressed +  and oblong-obovoid +
fertile +  and bisexual +
fertile +  and bisexual +
sessile +  and short-petiolate +
Ont. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Ky. +, Md. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, N.C. +, Pa. +, Tenn. +, Va. +, W.Va. +  and Wis. +
100–500 m +
glabrous +  and strigilloso-hirsutulous +
pistillate +, staminate +  and neuter +
winged +  and beaked +
dispersed +
Open, often thin, rocky, well-drained soils, oak-hickory woods, edges of woods, thickets, calcareous hammocks, wooded stream banks or cliffs, roadsides +
leafy +  and secund +
indeterminate +
ascending +  and arching +
heterogamous +  and homogamous +
each +  and sessile +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br />) +
cylindro-campanulate +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
11mm;16mm +
2 (?) +  and 5 (?) +
1.3mm;3.1mm +
sessile +  and petiolate +
cauline +  and basal +
decurrent +
reflexed;spreading;erect +
lanceolate +
crenate-serrate +  and entire +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
entire +  and subentire +
10mm +  and 35mm +
2-carpellate +
rose-tinged +, tawny +  and reddish-brown +
persistent +
25 +  and 40 +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.62 cm6.2 mm <br />0.0062 m <br />) +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
Flowering Aug–Oct. +
oblong-lanceolate +  and linear-lanceolate or linear +
styliferous +, neuter +  and pistillate +
bearing subulate enations +, hairy +  and bristly +
flat;slightly convex +
exalbuminous +
0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
0.1mm;0.2mm +
branched +  and simple +
ascending +  and erect +
hirtellous +  and glabrous +
1 +  and 5 +
appendaged +  and truncate +
papillate +  and smooth +
Aster camptosorus +
Symphyotrichum shortii +
Symphyotrichum sect. Symphyotrichum +
species +
funnelform-campanulate +  and cylindric +
ampliate +
with more or less woody caudices +  and short-rhizomatous +
30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (150 cm1,500 mm <br />1.5 m <br />) +
tree +, shrub +  and subshrub +
lanceolate +  and diamond-shaped +