Aster patens

Late purple aster
Clasping aster
Sky-drop aster

 

  
State Status * CT MA RI VT NH ME
P P P   S1 SX

 

 

 

Ecology: Upland woods and clearings;  Dry, often rocky ground.
Blooming Period: September into October
Typical Height Range: 1.5 to 3 ft.   (4.5 to 9 dm)
[ Our vars are var patens.]
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 What to look for in the field: 
  Capitulescence is roughly in the shape of a panicle, with short, stiff, widely spreading, few-flowered branches.
  Stems are straight or bent at the nodes and glandular (at least above).
  Basal leaves and lowest stem leaves are soon deciduous.  Mid- to upper stem leaves are ovate, with either blunt or slightly pointed tips, and are conspicuously clasping the stem.  Branch leaves are much smaller in size, but otherwise similar.  Most leaves are glandular. 
  Heads are large and showy, from 2.4 to 3.6 cm wide, with bright blue-violet rays and yellow disc florets.  Involucres tend to be broadly vase-shaped.  The tips of the phyllaries tend to be abruptly recurved.  Phyllaries are densely pubescent and glandular.  View image of involucre and phyllaries.
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* State Status data obtained from the NatureServe website and from published state natural heritage data.  Click link for a list of state status codes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

10/29/2009