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, 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.
Luc Brouillet +, John C. Semple +, Geraldine A. Allen +, Kenton L. Chambers +  and Scott D. Sundberg† +
(Linnaeus) G. L. Nesom +
Aster ericoides +
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 Nuevo León). +
30–2200 m +
Open, dry to moist, well drained, sandy or gravelly, disturbed soils, prairies, glades, dunes, fields, shores, railroad rights-of-way, roadsides +
Flowering Aug–Oct(–Nov). +
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 +