Species: Symphyotrichum eatonii (Gray) Nesom

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Symphyotrichum eatonii (Gray) Nesom

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Asteraceae or Compositae

Genus:

Symphyotrichum

Species Synonyms:

Aster oregonus auct. non (Nutt.) Torr. & Gray
Aster mearnsii Rydb.
Aster foliaceus var. eatonii Gray
Symphyotrichum bracteolatum auct. non (Nutt.) Nesom p.p.
Aster bracteolatus auct. non Nutt. p.p.
Aster cordalenus Henderson
Aster eatonii (Gray) T.J. Howell

Common Names:

Eaton’s aster

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southern Alberta – southwestern Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan:

southwestern Saskatchewan; Cypress Hills

Ecoregion:

Cypress Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

moist, springy thickets and woods

Associated Species:

monkeyflower, ragwort

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S1

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

Not At Risk

Eaton’s aster is threatened due to varying population sizes and restricted distribution in the province.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

40 – 100 cm

Roots:

rhizome well-developed

Stems:

branched, may be purplish at base, hairless to slightly hairy

Leaves:

basal and on the stem, alternate to subopposite, sessile to nearly clasping, lowermost may be stalked, lower leaves falling off early, leaves up to 7 times as long as broad, leaves on main stem 5 – 10 cm long and 5 – 10 mm wide, leaves on side shoots 1 – 2 cm long and 3 – 7 mm wide, narrowly elliptic to lance-shaped, tapering to base, hairless, thin and soft, margin entire to shallowly toothed

Inflorescence:

heads terminal and in leaf axils, cluster of flowers long and narrow, leafy; bracts in several subequal series, loose, 4 – 7 mm long, 2 – 3 mm wide, elliptic, green, not glandular

Flowers:

ray florets 20 – 40, 5 – 13 mm long, dark violet to white and pale blue

Fruits:

achenes hairy; pappus single, of capillary bristles, whitish to tawny

ASTER COMPLEX KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN
*(SPECIES PREVIOUSLY NAMED ASTER)*

1 Basal and lower stem leaves heart-shaped and stalked	Symphyotrichum ciliatum
1 Basal and lower stem leaves tapering at base, sessile to subsessile	2

2 Rays inconspicuous or absent	Symphyotrichum ciliatum (A. brachyactis)
2 Rays conspicuous	3

3 Bracts glandular, sometimes also otherwise hairy	4
3 Bracts not glandular, but may be hairy	7

4 Leaves toothed	Eurybia conspicua
4 Leaves entire or nearly so, margins at most with sharp, straight hairs	5

5 Stem leaves linear; sessile (lower ones stalked)	Almutaster pauciflorus
5 Stem leaves lance-shaped all sessile to clasping	6

6 Inflorescence stalks short; inflorescence compact	Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
6 Inflorescence stalks elongate; inflorescence loose	Canadanthus modestus

7 Pappus double	Doellingeria umbellata (var. pubens if leaf puberulent underneath)
7 Pappus single	8

8 Bracts with spiny tips	9
8 Bracts without spiny tips	10

9 Heads small; bracts 2 – 5 mm high, overlapping; rays 10 – 20	Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides
9 Heads larger; bracts 5 – 8 mm high, bracts not strongly overlapping; rays 22 - 35	Symphyotrichum falcatum var. falcatum

10 Leaves firm; bracts hard or firm, thickened at base, green-tipped	11
10 Leaves thin and soft; bracts thin and scarious, not markedly thickened at base	12

11 Plants < 50 cm tall; leaves linear to narrowly oblong, entire	Oligoneuron album
11 Plants 40 – 100 cm tall; leaves oval to lance-shaped	Symphyotrichum laeve var. laeve

12 Stem leaves strongly clasping at base	Symphyotrichum puniceum var. puniceum
12 Stem leaves sessile, scarcely clasping to not at all clasping with ear-like lobes (if half clasping, not abruptly contracted to a winged petiole)	13

13 Rays white	Symphyotrichum lanceolatum var. lanceolatum
13 Rays purple or pink, rarely white	14

14 Bracts subequal	Symphyotrichum eatonii
14 Bracts unequal	15

15 Stems stout, to > 2 m tall; leaves lance-shaped to broadest at the middle	Symphyotrichum prenanthoides
15 Stems slender, < 1 m tall; leaves linear to lance-shaped	16

16 Leaves firm; bracts pointing downward	Symphyotrichum adscendens
16 Leaves relatively thin; bracts not pointing downward	17

17 Leaves mostly 2 – 5 mm wide; heads few (<10)	Symphyotrichum boreale
17 Leaves wider; heads > 10	Symphyotrichum lanceolatum var. hesperium