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:

Mimulus sp., Senecio sp.

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

Symphyotrichum eatonii is threatened due to varying population sizes and restricted distribution in the province.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

40 – 100 cm

Roots:

rhizome well developed, creeping

Stems:

branched, may be purplish at base, glabrous to puberulent

Leaves:

basal and cauline, alternate to subopposite, sessile to nearly clasping, lowermost may be petiolate, basal leaves deciduous, leaves up to 7 times as long as broad; leaves on main stem 5 – 10 cm long and 5 – 10 mm wide, leaves on axillary shoots 1 – 2 cm long and 3 – 7 mm wide, narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, tapering to base, glabrous, thin and soft, margin entire to shallowly serrate

Inflorescence:

heads terminal and axillary, inflorescence long and narrow, leafy; phyllaries in several subequal series, loose, 4 – 7 mm long, 2 – 3 mm wide, elliptic, green, foliaceous, not glandular

Flowers:

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

Fruits:

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

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

1 Basal and lower cauline leaves cordate and petiolate	Symphyotrichum ciliatum
1 Basal and lower cauline leaves tapering at base, sessile to subsessile	2

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

3 Involucre glandular, sometimes also otherwise pubescent	4
3 Involucre not glandular, but may be pubescent	7

4 Leaves dentate	Eurybia conspicua
4 Leaves entire or nearly so, margins at most strigose pubescent	5

5 Cauline leaves linear, upper sessile (lower petioled)	Almutaster pauciflorus
5 Cauline leaves lanceolate, all sessile to clasping	6

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

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

8 Phyllaries with spinulose tips	9
8 Phyllaries without spinulose tips	10

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

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

11 Plants < 50 cm tall; leaves linear to narrowly oblong	Oligoneuron album
11 Plants 40 – 100 cm tall; leaves ovate to lanceolate	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 auriculate clasping (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 Phyllaries subequal	Symphyotrichum eatonii
14 Phyllaries unequal	15

15 Stems stout, to > 2 m tall; leaves lanceolate to elliptic	Symphyotrichum prenanthoides
15 Stems slender, < 1 m tall; leaves linear to lanceolate	16

16 Leaves firm; involucre appressed	Symphyotrichum adscendens
16 Leaves relatively thin; involucre not appressed	17

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