Symphyotrichum firmum

(Nees) G. L. Nesom

Phytologia 77: 282. 1995.

Common names: Glossy-leaved aster
Endemic
Basionym: Aster firmus Nees Syn. Aster. Herb., 25. 1818
Synonyms: Aster lucidulus (A. Gray) Wiegand Aster puniceus var. firmus (Nees) Torrey & A. Gray
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 20. Treatment on page 526. Mentioned on page 469, 476, 501, 522, 525.

Perennials, 40–250 cm, colonial; long-rhizomatous. Stems 1, erect (straight, ± thin, 2–8 mm diam at base, ± ribbed, red above each node), glabrous or glabrate (very sparsely hispidulous) proximally to ± hispidulous distally. Leaves (crowded, light green, shiny) firm, margins crenulate-serrate or entire, revolute, apices acute to acuminate, mucronate, abaxial faces glabrous or midveins sometimes with hairs apically, adaxial glabrous; basal withering by flowering, subpetiolate (petioles dilated, winged, sheathing), blades spatulate to oblanceolate, 30–100+ × 3–20+ mm, bases attenuate to cuneate, margins remotely crenate-serrate to subentire, apices acute to rounded; proximal cauline withering by flowering, sessile or subpetiolate (petioles widely winged, clasping), blades oblanceolate, 50–150 × 20–30 mm, greatly reduced distally, bases auriculate, clasping, apices acute to acuminate; distal sessile, blades lanceolate to lance-elliptic to oblanceolate, 40–70 × 10–25 mm, little reduced distally, bases auriculate, clasping, margins entire, apices acute to acuminate. Heads in densely paniculiform arrays, branches ascending, densely leafy (branch leaves often overtopping heads). Peduncles 0.2–3+ cm, glabrous or pilose in lines, bracts 4–6, lanceolate-linear, often subtending heads. Involucres campanulate, 6–12 mm. Phyllaries in 4–5(–6) series, linear-lanceolate to linear, slightly unequal, bases indurate 1/5–1/2, margins not scarious (outer) to narrowly scarious, erose, hyaline, sparsely ciliolate, green zones linear-lanceolate, outer sometimes ± foliaceous, apices acute to acuminate or long-acuminate to caudate, faces glabrous. Ray florets 20–40; corollas usually blue to pale lavender, sometimes white, laminae 9–18 × 1.0–1.2 mm. Disc florets 30–50; corollas yellow or cream becoming pink or purple, (4.5–)5–6.4 mm, tubes shorter than funnelform throats, lobes triangular to lanceolate, 0.6–0.9 mm. Cypselae purple or brown, obovoid, oblong or oblanceolate, ± falcate, ± compressed, 1.5–3 mm, 3–4-nerved, faces glabrous or sparsely strigillose; pappi white, 5.2–8 mm. 2n = 16.


Phenology: Flowering Aug–Oct.
Habitat: Open, wet soils, spreading into mesic mineral soils, fens, marshes, wet roadsides
Elevation: 100–400 m

Distribution

V20-1169-distribution-map.gif

Alta., Man., Ont., Sask., Ga., Iowa, Mich., Minn., Mo., Nebr.

Discussion

The range of this little known species is badly defined because some specimens attributed to it are in fact white-rayed, glabrate forms of Symphyotrichum puniceum. More work is needed to verify the status of this species.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Symphyotrichum firmum"
Luc Brouillet +, John C. Semple +, Geraldine A. Allen +, Kenton L. Chambers +  and Scott D. Sundberg† +
(Nees) G. L. Nesom +
Aster firmus +
Glossy-leaved aster +
Alta. +, Man. +, Ont. +, Sask. +, Ga. +, Iowa +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mo. +  and Nebr. +
100–400 m +
Open, wet soils, spreading into mesic mineral soils, fens, marshes, wet roadsides +
Flowering Aug–Oct. +
warners1999a +
Aster lucidulus +  and Aster puniceus var. firmus +
Symphyotrichum firmum +
Symphyotrichum sect. Symphyotrichum +
species +