|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
||
| THE SUNFLOWER FAMILY | ||
| The sunflowers are found around the
globe in many different places, from temperate climates, like in Saskatchewan,
to mountains or in dry regions. The sunflower family is very large and contains
about 19,000 species! As you can imagine, the plants in this family can
look very different from one another. The sunflowers can be shrubs or herbs,
with many different leaf shapes and flower colours. One thing that is common
to all sunflowers is the type of flower arrangement. In this family, there
are many flowers grouped together into a head, like the one you see on a
daisy. It looks like one flower from a distance, but when you get close
you will see that it is actually made up of many, small flowers. The head
may have ray flowers on the outside and disc flowers on the inside, or only
one of the two kinds. Many of the seeds, like the dandelion, have a fluffy
structure attached to the seed. This is called the pappus and helps the
seeds to spread in the wind. You probably know a lot of plants in the sunflower family. Sunflowers can be plants you eat or plants that you may grow in the yard. For example, did you know that lettuce is from the sunflower family? So are the marigolds in the garden! Maybe you have heard of Echinacea? It is a plant in the sunflower family that is used to make medicine. Some of the sunflowers are also weeds, like the dandelion. |
||
| LARGE NORTHERN ASTER | ||
| LATIN NAME: Canadanthus modestus | ||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | ||
| Large northern aster is 30 to 75 cm tall. The roots are fibrous with creeping rhizomes. The above ground stem has lots of leaves and is often purple, at least at the base. The leaves are alternate and do not have a leaf stalk. Sometimes, the leaf bases will have ear-like lobes that clasp the stem. The edges of the leaves are usually smooth, but may be saw-toothed. There are several heads in a loose, round-topped cluster. The bracts and the stalks have glandular hairs. The ray flowers are purple and the disc flowers are yellow. The pappus is brown and the fruit is hairy. | ||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | ||
| Large northern aster grows in moist woods and clearings and along roadsides. | ||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | ||
| This plant is found in central Saskatchewan in the Boreal Transition and Mid-Boreal Upland Ecoregions. | ||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | ||
| Large northern aster is threatened because it is limited to very small areas. | ||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY LARGE NORTHERN ASTER | ||
| * Are rays purple? * Are the stems purple at the base? * Are the leaves without a stalk or have ear-like lobes? * Did you find it central Saskatchewan? |
||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found large northern aster! | ||
