Symphyotrichum subspicatum

(Nees) G. L. Nesom

Phytologia 77: 293. 1995.

Common names: Douglas’s aster
Endemic
Basionym: Aster subspicatus Nees Gen. Sp. Aster., 74. 1832
Synonyms: Aster butleri Rydberg Aster maccallae Rydberg Aster subspicatus var. grayi (Suksdorf) Cronquist
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 20. Treatment on page 537. Mentioned on page 475, 534, 536.
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Perennials, 40–120 cm, colonial; long-rhizomatous. Stems 1–5+, ascending to erect, proximally glabrous, distally usually glabrous or sparsely puberulent, rarely densely hirsute. Leaves thin, margins entire or often serrate, apices acute, faces glabrous or sparsely puberulent; basal withering by flowering, petiolate to subpetiolate, blades oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic or linear, 50–150 × 3–25 mm, bases attenuate, margins entire or sometimes serrate, apices acute; proximalmost cauline withering by flowering, subpetiolate or sessile, blades obovate or oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, rarely linear, 50–150 × 4–35 mm, bases attenuate or cuneate; distal sessile, blades 30–100 (–130) × 3–15 (–30) mm, bases cuneate, rounded or sometimes ± auriculate, margins sometimes serrate, scabrous. Heads in open, corymbiform, paniculiform, or racemiform arrays, branches 5–30 cm. Peduncles sparsely hairy, bracts 1–10, lance-oblong to linear, sometimes clasping, margins scabrous. Involucres campanulate, 5–8 (–10) mm. Phyllaries in 4–6 series, appressed or squarrose, oblong or narrowly oblanceolate or linear (outer) to linear (inner), unequal to subequal (outer shorter than or equal to inner, often less than 3 times as long as wide), bases outer indurate less than 1/2 (some foliaceous), inner scarious, margins entire, sometimes ciliate, green zones obovate to elliptic, apices acute to obtuse, faces usually glabrous, rarely sparsely puberulent. Ray-florets 15–45; corollas violet, laminae 10–16 (–20) × (1–) 1.5–2.5 mm. Disc-florets 50–75; corollas yellow becoming reddish, 4–7 mm, lobes triangular, 0.5–1 mm, glabrous. Cypselae brown or purplish, cylindric to obovoid, not compressed, 2–4 mm, 3–6-nerved, faces hairy; pappi whitish to tawny or reddish, 4.5–8 mm. 2n = 48, 64, 80, 96.


Phenology: Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat: Marshes, thickets, weedy meadows, open disturbed habitats
Elevation: 0–1000 m

Distribution

V20-1199-distribution-map.gif

Alta., B.C., Alaska, Calif., Idaho, Mont., Oreg., Wash.

Discussion

Symphyotrichum subspicatum is a weedy, highly polyploid species, probably of allopolyploid derivation from different combinations of species including S. chilense, S. bracteolatum, S. foliaceum, S. laeve, and S. spathulatum. Hybrids with S. hallii are known from western Oregon. The species passes into S. foliaceum in southeastern Alaska.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thin" is not a number.

96 +, 80 +, 64 +  and 48 +
not tailed +, rounded +  and obtuse +
distinct +
acute;obtuse +
subequal +
scarious +
usually triangular +  and linear +
usually deltate +  and lanceolate +
racemiform +, paniculiform +, corymbiform +  and open +
indeterminate +  and determinate +
Luc Brouillet +, John C. Semple +, Geraldine A. Allen +, Kenton L. Chambers +  and Scott D. Sundberg† +
(Nees) G. L. Nesom +
spatulate;oblanceolate elliptic or ovate +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
inner +  and outer +
auriculate +, rounded +, cuneate +  and attenuate +
scarious +  and indurate +
4mm;35mm +
Aster subspicatus +
sessile +, subpetiolate +  and petiolate +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (13 cm130 mm <br />0.13 m <br />) +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
oblanceolate;obovate;attenuate;oblanceolate to narrowly +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
rugulose +  and muricate +
lance-oblong +  and linear +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
barbellulate +  and barbellate +
sessile +  and petiolate +
Douglas’s aster +
not 2-lipped +  and actinomorphic +
yellow becoming reddish +  and violet +
at maturity , more or less ampliate , tubes usually shorter +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
beaked +, 2-ribbed +  and 5-ribbed +
purplish +  and brown +
strigillose +  and glabrous +
not compressed +, cylindric +  and obovoid +
fertile +  and bisexual +
fertile +  and bisexual +
Alta. +, B.C. +, Alaska +, Calif. +, Idaho +, Mont. +, Oreg. +  and Wash. +
0–1000 m +
hairy +, puberulent +  and glabrous +
pistillate +, staminate +  and neuter +
winged +  and beaked +
dispersed +
Marshes, thickets, weedy meadows, open disturbed habitats +
disciform +  and radiate +
indeterminate +
heterogamous +  and homogamous +
each +  and sessile +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br />) +
campanulate +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
10mm;16mm +
2 (?) +  and 5 (?) +
1.5mm;2.5mm +
sessile +  and petiolate +
cauline +  and basal +
decurrent +
triangular +
entire +  and serrate +
not +  and hyaline +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
ciliate +  and scabrous +
attenuate +
3mm +  and 25mm +
2-carpellate +
whitish +  and tawny or reddish +
persistent +
25 +  and 40 +
0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
Flowering Jul–Sep. +
squarrose +  and appressed +
linear to linear +, oblanceolate +  and oblong +
unequal +  and subequal +
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 +
hirsute +, puberulent +  and glabrous +
1 +  and 5 +
appendaged +  and truncate +
papillate +  and smooth +
Aster butleri +, Aster maccallae +  and Aster subspicatus var. grayi +
Symphyotrichum subspicatum +
Symphyotrichum sect. Occidentales +
species +
funnelform-campanulate +  and cylindric +
at maturity , more or less ampliate , tubes usually shorter +
ampliate +
40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br /> (120 cm1,200 mm <br />1.2 m <br />) +
tree +, shrub +  and subshrub +
obovate +  and elliptic +