| Botanical name: |
Symphiotrichum concolor (L) Nesom |
| Common
name: |
Eastern silvery aster
|
| Synonomy: |
Aster concolor L.
Aster
concolor L. var. simulatus
(Small) R.W. Long
Aster
plumosus Small
Aster
simulatus Small
Lasallea
concolor (L.) Semple & L. Brouillet
Virgulus
concolor (L.) Reveal & Keener
|
| Group: |
Dicot
|
| Family: |
Asteraceae |
| Growth
Type: |
Forb/herb
|
| Duration: |
Perennial
|
| Plant
height: |
9"- 3-1/2'
|
| Foliage: |
Plants silvery pubescent throughout;
leaves sessile but not clasping and the lower ones deciduous; heads
small (less than 2 cm) and numerous elongate-racemiform, achenes
pubescent. Basal leaves do not have a stalk.
|
| Flower
color: |
Lilac
|
| Flower
size: |
8-16 rays; heads about 3/4" wide, in a long raceme, sometimes with a
few short branches.
|
| Flowering/fruiting time |
Flowers late August to early
October.
|
| Habitat: |
Dry sandy open oak-pine woods and
barrens, and roadsides.
|
| Range in
New Jersey: |
During Witmer Stone's time (1911)
this plant was "frequent" in dry sandy ground in the Pine Barrens and
locally in the Middle and Cape May districts. It is now an S2 plant,
and listed Pinelands species.
|
| Heritage ranking if any: |
S2, Listed Pinelands species
|
| Distribution |
|
| Misc.: |
The showy aster (A. spectabilis) occupies similar
habitats (e.g. sites on dry, sandy soil in open woodlands) and is
somewhat similar in appearance to the eastern silvery aster.
Nevertheless, its basal leaves have long stalks, while the leaves of
eastern silvery aster are stalkless.
Associated species include bearberry (Arctostaphylos
uva-ursi), New England blazing star (Liatris borealis), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium),
Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica),
bushy aster (Aster dumosum),
bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica),
black huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata)
and late lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium
angustifolium).
Symphyotrichum,
from the Greek symphyos, (growing together) and thrix (hair), referring
to the hair-like flowers; concolor, of
uniform color (the leaves).
|
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