Schreber's Aster

Eurybia schreberi is rare or extirpated in a many states at the northern limit of its range.

Plants (20–)40–110 cm, in ± dense clones (with sterile rosettes on short rhizomeds); rhizomes branched, long. Stems 1, erect, simple, straight, proximally glabrous or sparsely villous, distally densely villous. Leaves basal and cauline, margins coarsely serrate (proximal) to serrate (distal), strigoso-ciliate, teeth (15–30 per side) mucronulate, apices acuminate, abaxial faces sparsely strigose, long-stipitate-glandular on veins, adaxial sparsely villous, more densely so on veins; basal withering by flowering, petiolate (55–180 mm), bases sheathing, blades broadly ovate, 55–110 × 48–95 mm, bases cordate (with mostly deep, rectangular sinuses); cauline petiolate to (distal) subsessile, petioles (4–100 mm) ± winged, ± clasping, blades ovate to broadly lanceolate, 27–135 × 7–112 mm, bases cordate (sinuses narrower) to rounded or cuneate-rounded; distal (arrays) sessile, ovate to lanceolate, 6–70 × 1–27 mm. Heads 15–100+ in flat-topped, corymbiform arrays. Peduncles sparsely to moderately villous, sparsely glandular; bracts 0–1, linear. Involucres cylindro-campanulate, 5.5–7.5 mm, equal to or shorter than pappi. Phyllaries 23–32 in 4–5 series, oblong (outer) to lanceolate (inner), strongly unequal, bases indurate, dark green zones in distal ¹ / 4 or less (outer), often confined to narrow strip along midnerves or none (inner), margins narrowly scarious, densely villoso-ciliate, apices ± loose, obtuse to rounded, faces glabrous or sparsely villosulous, sometimes sparsely stipitate-glandular. Ray florets 6–12; corollas white, 10.5–13 × 1.5–2.1 mm. Disc florets 12–20(–30); corollas yellow, 5–6.8 mm, slightly ampliate, tubes (3.2–3.8 mm) longer than campanulate throats (1.1–1.9 mm), lobes erect to slightly spreading, lanceolate, (0.9–)1.1–1.5(–1.9) mm. Cypselae brown, fusiform to cylindro-obconic, compressed, 3.2–3.7 mm, ribs 6–12, faces glabrous or sparsely strigillose; pappi of (65–70) orangish to burnt orange (fine, barbellulate, sometimes apically clavellate) bristles 5–6.8 mm, ± equaling disc corolla. 2n = 54.

Aster schreberi Nees, Syn. Aster. Herb., 16. 1818; Biotia glomerata (Nees) de Candolle; Biotia schreberi (Nees) de Candolle; Eurybia glomerata Nees

Eurybia schreberi, commonly called Schreber's aster or nettle-leaved Michaelmas-daisy, is a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae. It is native to eastern North America, where it is present in Canada and the United States. The flower heads emerge in the late summer or early fall to show white ray florets and yellow disc florets. It is listed as endangered in Indiana and Iowa, of special concern in Tennessee and possibly extirpated in Maine.