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Common Blue Wood Aster

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (L.) G. L. Nesom

Comments

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Symphyotrichum cordifolium has been introduced in British Columbia but has not persisted. In a morphometric analysis of infraspecific variation in the northeastern part of the range, A. Legault (1986) showed that the varieties described are not distinct and mostly represent phenotypic variants caused by growing conditions; likewise, diploid and tetraploid races could not be distinguished morphologically.

The type of Aster cordifolius var. laevigatus is conspecific with that of Symphyotrichum cordifolium. This name is the basionym of S. lowrieanum; therefore the latter cannot be considered distinct from S. cordifolium and is not recognized here. Most specimens initially identified as S. lowrieanum in herbaria have been re-determined as S. cordifolium. Some of the specimens, however, appear to correspond to the hybrid between S. cordifolium and S. laeve var. laeve, called S. ×schistosum (Steele) G. L. Nesom (syn. Aster schistosus Steele).

Symphyotrichum ×tardiflorum (Linnaeus) Greuter, Aghababian & Wagenitz [syn. Aster tardiflorus Linnaeus, A. novibelgii Linnaeus subsp. tardiflorus (Linnaeus) A. G. Jones, A. novibelgii var. tardiflorus (Linnaeus) A. G. Jones, Symphyotrichum novibelgii (Linnaeus) G. L. Nesom var. tardiflorum (Linnaeus) G. L. Nesom] is the F 1 hybrid between S. cordifolium and S. puniceum (J. Labrecque & Brouillet 1996; G. L. Nesom 1997; W. Greuter et al. 2005). Aster tardiflorus forma vestitus (Fernald) Fernald or var. vestitus Fernald is a hairy variant of the hybrid and is not recognized here; hairiness may be related to whichever species is the maternal parent. A. G. Jones (1989) reported hybrids with S. drummondii and S. urophyllum. She believed that var. moratum may be a hybrid with or an introgressant from S. drummondii, but this is not accepted by all authors. Symphyotrichum ×finkii (Rydberg) G. L. Nesom (syn. Aster finkii Rydberg), may be the hybrid of S. cordifolium and S. shortii. All such putative hybrids need to be confirmed.

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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
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Flora of North America Vol. 20: 374, 474, 500, 501, 502, 507, 509, 5 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
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Description

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Perennials, 20–120 cm, colonial or cespitose; branched rhizomatous, or with branched caudices, becoming ± woody. Stems 1–5+, erect (straight to ± flexuous distally, often reddish, sometimes brown), usually glabrous, sometimes ± pilose, particularly distally. Leaves thin, margins serrate (often sharply, teeth acuminate, mucronulate) to serrate-crenate or subentire, strigose, apices acuminate to acute, mucronulate, abaxial faces glabrous or sparsely to densely strigose-pilose, often pilose on midveins, sometimes on other veins also, adaxial glabrous or sparsely to densely strigose, sometimes ± scabrous; basal withering by flowering, new vernal rosettes often present, long-petiolate (petioles ± narrowly winged, bases dilated, sheathing, ciliate), blades ovate to elliptic or suborbiculate, (10–)35–150 × (10–)25–75 mm, bases usually deeply cordate, sometimes rounded, margins coarsely, often irregularly serrate, apices sometimes obtuse or rounded; proximal cauline often withering by flowering, winged-petiolate (becoming shorter and more widely winged distally, petiole bases clasping), blades widely to narrowly ovate, 40–100(–140) × 20–40(–70) mm, reduced distally, bases ± deeply cordate to rounded, margins sharply serrate, apices acuminate; distal usually sessile or subsessile, rarely short-petiolate, blades ovate to lanceolate, 5–105 × 2–45 mm, bases cordate or rounded to attenuate or cuneate, margins serrate or entire (distalmost), apices acuminate. Heads [(5–)20–300+] in ± densely paniculiform arrays, branches divaricate to ascending, paniculiform, sometimes ± long-arching, leafy. Peduncles 0.3–2 cm, ± pilose, bracts linear-oblanceolate or -lanceolate to linear, foliaceous, distally grading into phyllaries, margins sparsely ciliolate, glabrous. Involucres cylindro-campanulate to cylindric, (3–)4.5–5(–6) mm. Phyllaries in (3–)4–6 series, linear-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, unequal, bases indurate 1 / 2 – 3 / 4 , margins scarious, erose, hyaline, sparsely ciliolate, green zones lanceolate to ± diamond-shaped, apical, apices (often red-tipped) acute to obtuse-acuminate or acuminate, mucronulate, faces glabrous or sparsely strigillose. Ray florets (8–)10–16(–20); corollas usually blue to purple, seldom whitish or pink, laminae (5–)6–8(–10) × 1.4–1.8 mm. Disc florets (8–)10–15(–20); corollas cream-color or light yellow becoming purple, (3–)4–4.5(–5) mm, tubes slightly shorter than funnelform throats, lobes sometimes ± spreading, narrowly triangular to lanceolate, 0.6–0.9 mm. Cypselae dull purple or light brown, obovoid, ± compressed, 2–2.5 mm, 4–5-nerved, faces glabrous; pappi white or ± rose-tinged, 2.5–4.5 mm. 2n = 16, 32.
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copyright
Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of North America Vol. 20: 374, 474, 500, 501, 502, 507, 509, 5 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of North America @ eFloras.org
editor
Flora of North America Editorial Committee
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eFloras.org
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Synonym

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Aster cordifolius Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 875. 1753; A. cordifolius var. alvearius E. S. Burgess; A. cordifolius var. furbishiae Fernald; A. cordifolius var. incisus Britton; A. cordifolius subsp. laevigatus (Porter) A. G. Jones; A. cordifolius var. laevigatus Porter; A. cordifolius var. lanceolatus Porter; A. cordifolius var. moratus (Shinners) Shinners; A. cordifolius var. polycephalus Porter; A. cordifolius var. racemiflorus Fernald; A. cordifolius subsp. sagittifolius (Wedemeyer ex Willdenow) A. G. Jones; A. cordifolius var. sagittifolius (Wedemeyer ex Willdenow) A. G. Jones; A. finkii Rydberg var. moratus Shinners; A. leiophyllus Porter; A. lowrieanus Porter; A. lowrieanus var. incisus (Britton) Porter; A. lowrieanus var. lanceolatus (Porter) Porter; A. sagittifolius Wedemeyer ex Willdenow; Symphyotrichum cordifolium var. furbishiae (Fernald) G. L. Nesom; S. cordifolium var. lanceolatum (Porter) G. L. Nesom; S. cordifolium var. moratum (Shinners) G. L. Nesom; S. cordifolium var. polycephalum (Porter) G. L. Nesom; S. cordifolium var. racemiflorum (Fernald) G. L. Nesom; S. lowrieanum (Porter) G. L. Nesom; S. sagittifolium (Wedemeyer ex Willdenow) G. L. Nesom
license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of North America Vol. 20: 374, 474, 500, 501, 502, 507, 509, 5 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of North America @ eFloras.org
editor
Flora of North America Editorial Committee
project
eFloras.org
original
visit source
partner site
eFloras

Symphyotrichum cordifolium

provided by wikipedia EN

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (formerly Aster cordifolius), commonly known as common blue wood aster, heartleaf aster,[3] and blue wood-aster,[4] is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to central and eastern North America. It reaches heights of up to 1.2 meters (4 feet) and has bluish daisy-like flowers which bloom late-summer and fall in its range.

Description

Symphyotrichum cordifolium reaches heights of up to 1.2 meters (4 feet). The lower leaves are heart-shaped, while leaves higher on the stem tend to be sessile with more rounded bases. The composite flowers, which have bluish to rarely white ray florets and light yellow disc florets that eventually turn purple, emerge in August and persist into October.[3]

Chromosomes

S. cordifolium has a chromosome base number of x = 8. Diploid and tetraploid cytotypes with respective counts of 16 and 32 have been reported.[3]

Taxonomy

Symphyotrichum cordifolium is classified in the subgenus Symphyotrichum, section Symphyotrichum.[5] The species was first formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 as Aster cordifolius.[6]

S. cordifolium botanical illustration from Addisonia, New York Botanical Garden (1917).

Hybrids

Where the range of Symphyotrichum cordifolium overlaps with that of S. puniceum, the F1 hybrid named Symphyotrichum × tardiflorum can occur. Symphyotrichum × schistosum is the hybrid of S. cordifolium and S. laeve var. laeve.[3]

A hybrid of S. cordifolium and S. shortii may occur, and this has been named Symphyotrichum × finkii. Hybrids with S. drummondii and S. urophyllum have been reported but not confirmed.[3]

Species classifications

Distribution and habitat

Symphyotrichum cordifolium occurs from Manitoba, east to Nova Scotia and Maine, south to Georgia and Alabama, and west to Oklahoma. It was once introduced in British Columbia but did not persist.[3] It is an introduced species in Great Britain and Norway.[2]

It grows primarily in mesic sites with soils that are rocky to loamy but generally rich, at heights ranging from sea level along the coastal plain up to 1,200 m (3,900 ft) in the Appalachian Mountains. It can be found on open wooded slopes, along the banks of streams, on moist ledges, in swampy woods, along the borders of beech–maple forests and oak–hickory forests, as well as in clearings, thickets, and along roadsides and ditches. It also can be found in urban areas where it is sometimes considered a weed species.[3]

Ecology

Reproduction

Symphyotrichum cordifolium reproduces vegetatively via short rhizomes, as well as via wind-dispersed seeds. The ray florets of species in the Symphyotrichum genus are exclusively female, each having a pistil but no stamen, while disk florets are bisexual, each with both male and female reproductive parts.[7]

Pests and diseases

Puccinia dioicae on a leaf of Taraxacum officinale

Two rusts have been recorded on S. cordifolium: the brown rust Puccinia dioicae and the red rust Coleosporium asterum.[8]

Conservation

Symphyotrichum cordifolium has coefficients of conservatism (C-values) in the Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) that range from 2 to 8 depending on evaluation region.[9] The lower the C-value, the higher tolerance the species has for disturbance and the lesser the likelihood that it is growing in a presettlement natural community.[10] In the Dakotas, for example, S. cordifolium has a C-value of 8, meaning its populations there are found in high-quality remnant natural areas with little environmental degradation but can tolerate some periodic disturbance.[11] In contrast, in the Laurentian plains and hills of Maine and New Brunswick, it has been given a C-value of 2, meaning its presence in locations of that ecoregion provides little confidence of a remnant habitat.[12]

As of July 2021, NatureServe listed Symphyotrichum cordifolium as Secure (G5) worldwide, Critically Imperiled (S1) in Kansas, and Vulnerable (S3) in Delaware and Missouri.[1]

Uses

Medicinal

The Ojibwe have used S. cordifolium to make an incense to attract deer.[13]

Gardening

Symphyotrichum cordifolium is cultivated as a garden plant under its current name and the older name Aster cordifolius. Several cultivars have been selected for garden use, and the following have achieved the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:[14]

  • 'Chieftain' has "light mauve-blue ray florets."[15]
  • 'Little Carlow' (S. cordifolium hybrid) with "abundant violet-blue" rays.[16]
  • ‘Photograph’ (S. cordifolium hybrid) has "pale lilac-blue flowers."[17]
  • 'Sweet Lavender' with "lavender-blue flowers."[18]

Citations

References

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Symphyotrichum cordifolium: Brief Summary

provided by wikipedia EN

Symphyotrichum cordifolium (formerly Aster cordifolius), commonly known as common blue wood aster, heartleaf aster, and blue wood-aster, is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to central and eastern North America. It reaches heights of up to 1.2 meters (4 feet) and has bluish daisy-like flowers which bloom late-summer and fall in its range.

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wikipedia EN