Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Campanulids: Asterales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (10/20/20):
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum
FAMILY
Asteraceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Test-drive A Teaching Key to Asters.
Only a few of the "small white asters" inhabit floodplains and bottomlands, and Calico Aster is one of them. Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
INCLUDING
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum var. lateriflorum
FAMILY
Asteraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum
INCLUDING PLANTS National Database
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum var. horizontale
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-47-035:
Aster lateriflorus FAMILY Asteraceae
COMMON NAME:
Calico Aster, Starved Aster, Goblet Aster
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
JK Marlow jkm220722_9251
July Greenville County SC
Bald Rock Heritage Preserve
Long and often horizontally spreading branches with flowering heads near or at the ends, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
JK Marlow jkm120930_179b
September Greenville County SC
Less than 15 white rays (occasionally w a lavender tinge). Disk purplish-red, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
COMPARE
small white asters
JK Marlow jkm141025_330
October Greenville County SC
Swamp Rabbit Trail
Leaves thin, membranous, margins serrate to serrulate,...
JK Marlow jkm141025_334
October Greenville County SC
Swamp Rabbit Trail
...progressively reduced distally, branch leaves abruptly smaller, margins sometimes entire, per Flora of North America.
JK Marlow jkm141025_337
October Greenville County SC
Swamp Rabbit Trail
New vernal rosettes often developing at flowering, per Flora of North America.
JK Marlow jkm181028_5375
October McCormick County SC
Parks Mill
Involucres turbinate; bracts whitish with green midrib, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
COMPARE
involucral bracts of North American asters
JK Marlow jkm221004_0218
October Greenville County SC
Bald Rock Heritage Preserve
Disc corollas white to cream turning pink to purplish, lobes strongly reflexed, per Weakley's Flora (2022).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (10/20/20):
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum
FAMILY
Asteraceae
INCLUDING
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum var. lateriflorum
FAMILY
Asteraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum
INCLUDING
PLANTS National Database
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum var. horizontale
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-47-035:
Aster lateriflorus
FAMILY
Asteraceae