Southern White Top

Doellingeria sericocarpoides is uncommon in eastern Texas and southeastern Oklahoma.

Plants 50–150 cm (short- to long-rhizomatous). Stems usually 1, ascending to erect, striate, glab-rous proximal to heads. Cauline leaves: mid and distal crowded, blades lanceolate (proximal) to ovate (distal), 30–110 × 15–40 mm, reduced distally, stiff, bases cuneate, margins involute to weakly revolute, finely ciliate, apices acuminate, faces glabrous or sparsely hairy. Heads (8–) 30–130(–200). Peduncles 1–10 mm, sparsely to moderately canescent; bracts linear-lanceolate to broadly lanceolate. Involucres 3.2–6 mm. Phyllaries in 3–4 series, midveins often swollen, translucent apically, apices broadly rounded, glabrate. Rays 2–7; laminae (6–)8–12(–14.5) × 1–3 mm. Disc florets 4–13(–20); corollas 4–7 mm, lobes 2–4.2 mm, 60–75% of limbs. Cypselae 1.5–3.7 mm, 6–8-ribbed, sparsely strigose; pappi: outer 0.4–1.1 mm, inner 4–7 mm. 2n = 18.

Aster sericocarpoides (Small) K. Schumann; A. umbellatus Miller var. brevisquamus Fernald; A. umbellatus var. latifolius A. Gray; Doellingeria umbellata (Miller) Nees var. latifolia (A. Gray) House

Doellingeria sericocarpoides, the southern tall flat-topped aster or southern whitetop aster, is a North American perennial forb native to the eastern United States. It ranges from eastern Texas and southeastern Oklahoma to northern Florida north as far as New York State, though uncommon in the northern part of that range.

Doellingeria sericocarpoides is a perennial up to 150 cm (5 feet) tall, spreading by means of underground rhizomes. It can sometimes produce as many as 200 small flower heads, each with 2-7 white ray florets and 4-20 yellow disc florets.