Aster

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 2: 872. 1753.

,

Gen. Pl. ed. 5, 373. 1754.

Common names: Aster
Etymology: Latin aster, star, alluding to heads as seen from above
Synonyms: Asteromoea Blume Diplactis Rafinesque Heteropappus Lessing Kalimeris Cassini
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 20. Treatment on page 20. Mentioned on page 3, 17, 23, 39, 43, 78, 82, 83, 101, 102.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA20 P01 Aster alpinus.jpegBaccharis halimifolia
Aster alpinus
Bellis perennis
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey

Perennials [subshrubs, shrubs], 3–300 cm (rhizomatous, rhizomes long or short, plants sometimes with branched caudices). Stems ascending to erect, simple, ± densely hairy [glabrous], sometimes stipitate-glandular. Leaves basal and/or cauline; sessile or petiolate; blades 1-nerved, spatulate, obovate (mainly basal), oblanceolate, lance-oblong, lanceolate, or linear, distal often reduced, margins entire or serrate [lobed], faces hairy. Heads radiate, borne singly or in corymbiform [paniculiform] arrays. Involucres broadly campanulate or hemispheric [cylindro-campanulate], 15–25 mm diam. Phyllaries persistent, 25–50 in 2–4 series, 1-nerved (flat), ovate to lanceolate, unequal to subequal, bases ± scarious, herbaceous distally or not, green zones along midnerves, margins scarious to hyaline, densely villous, strigillose, or glabrous, sometimes ± short-stipitate-glandular. Receptacles flat or convex, pitted, epaleate. Ray-florets 14–55 (–100) [–150] in 1 series, pistillate, fertile; corollas white, pink, purple, blue, or violet. Disc-florets 20–100+, bisexual, fertile; corollas usually yellow (sometimes reddening), slightly ampliate [tubular], tubes shorter than to equaling funnelform or campanulate throats, lobes 5, usually erect to spreading, rarely reflexed, lanceolate; style-branch appendages lanceolate. Cypselae obconic, compressed, 2 marginal ribs, faces ± densely strigillose [glabrous], sometimes short-stipitate-glandular; pappi persistent, of 20–30 white to tawny, ± equal, barbellate, apically usually attenuate, sometimes ± clavate bristles in 1–2 series. x = 9.

Distribution

North America, Eurasia

Discussion

Species ca. 180 (2 in the flora).

Some species of Aster are cultivated and sold in the horticultural trade (J. C. Semple et al. 2002). Some species, notably the type of the genus, Aster amellus Linnaeus, have a large number of cultivars. The genus name is the type of the family name Asteraceae. As circumscribed here, Aster excludes members of the Crinitaria-Galatella-Tripolium complex, which are closer to the Bellidinae (Bellis, Bellium, Bellidiastrum; O. Fiz et al. 2002). Analysis of molecular data shows that Aster in the strict sense includes Diplactis, Kalimeris, Heteropappus, and a few other eastern Asiatic segregates. The relationship of Aster in the strict sense to other Astereae genera is unclear, and the delimitation of subtribe Asterinae in the sense of G. L. Nesom (1994b) is still uncertain.

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Plants scapiform, to 30 cm; basal leaf blades oblanceolate to spatulate, 10–112 mm, cauline blades lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 7–43(–50) mm, margins entire; heads borne singly; phyllaries lanceolate to lance-oblong, subequal; rays pink, white, or lavender (arctic-alpine) Aster alpinus
1 Plants leafy-stemmed, to 150(–300) cm; basal leaf blades oblanceolate, 300–500 mm, cauline blades oblanceolate to lanceolate, 40–180 mm, margins coarsely serrate or entire; heads borne in corymbiform arrays; phyllaries ovate to linear-lanceolate, unequal; rays pale lavender or purple (escaped from cultivation) Aster tataricus
... more about "Aster"
not tailed +, rounded +  and obtuse +
distinct +
subequal +
scarious +
usually triangular +  and linear +
usually deltate +  and lanceolate +
indeterminate +  and determinate +
Luc Brouillet +
Linnaeus +
decurrent +
scarious +
linear;lanceolate;linear;lanceolate;lance-oblong;oblanceolate;obovate;spatulate +
rugulose +  and muricate +
barbellulate +  and barbellate +
not 2-lipped +  and actinomorphic +
yellow +, violet +, blue +, purple +, pink +  and white +
ampliate +
beaked +, 2-ribbed +  and 5-ribbed +
compressed +  and obconic +
fertile +  and bisexual +
fertile +  and bisexual +
North America +  and Eurasia +
Latin aster, star, alluding to heads as seen from above +
short-stipitate-glandular +, strigillose +  and hairy +
pistillate +, staminate +  and neuter +
winged +  and beaked +
dispersed +
in corymbiform arrays +  and singly +
indeterminate +
heterogamous +  and homogamous +
each +  and sessile +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
hemispheric;campanulate +
petiolate +  and sessile +
cauline +  and basal +
reflexed;usually erect;spreading +
lanceolate +
serrate +  and entire +
short-stipitate-glandular +, glabrous +, strigillose +  and villous +
2-carpellate +
white +  and tawny +
persistent +
20 +  and 30 +
attenuate +
ovate +  and lanceolate +
unequal +  and subequal +
Sp. Pl. +  and Gen. Pl. ed. +
1753 +  and 1754 +
bearing subulate enations +, hairy +  and bristly +
convex;flat +
exalbuminous +
ascending +  and erect +
stipitate-glandular +  and hairy +
appendaged +  and truncate +
papillate +  and smooth +
Asteromoea +, Diplactis +, Heteropappus +  and Kalimeris +
Asteraceae tribe Astereae +
campanulate +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (300 cm3,000 mm <br />3 m <br />) +
tree +, shrub +  and subshrub +