Biology:Symphyotrichum laeve

Short description: Species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to central and eastern North America

Symphyotrichum laeve
Conservation status
Invalid status (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Tribe:	Astereae
Subtribe:	Symphyotrichinae
Genus:	Symphyotrichum
Subgenus:	Symphyotrichum subg. Symphyotrichum
Section:	Symphyotrichum sect. Symphyotrichum
Species:	S. laeve
Binomial name
Symphyotrichum laeve (L.) Á.Löve & D.Löve
Varieties
S. laeve var. laeve S. laeve var. concinnum (Willd.) G.L.Nesom S. laeve var. geyeri (A.Gray) G.L.Nesom S. laeve var. purpuratum (Nees) G.L.Nesom
North American distribution
Synonyms
Basionym Aster laevis L. Alphabetical list Aster laevis var. falcatus Muhl. ex Willd. Hoffm. Farw. Aster laevis f. falcatus (Farw.) F.Seym. Aster laevis f. latifolius Aster decorus (Porter) Shinners Aster laevis var. latifolius Porter Aster laevis var. panduratus Desf. ex DC. Farw. Aster laevis f. purpurascens Farw. Aster laevis var. simplex Aster expansus Cockerell Aster laevis var. sourisensis Lunell Aster autranii Nees Osterh. Aster laevis var. thyrsoideus Farw. Aster laevis var. undulatifolius Aster falcidens Lunell Aster lucidus Loudon Aster pensilvanicus E.S.Burgess Poir. Aster pickettianus Suksd. Aster politus Aster glaucescens Nees Aster rubricaulis Lam. Aster amplexicaulis Post Wender. ex Nees Shinners Diplactis cyanea Raf. Aster glaucus Nees Aster laevigatus Aster bupleurifolius Hook. Aster laevis var. abbreviatus Lunell Aster laevis f. amplifolius Nees (Porter) Fernald Aster laevis var. amplifolius Porter Aster laevis f. beckwithiae Aster cyaneus House Aster laevis var. cyaneus (Hoffm.) Torr. Aster steeleorum Aster laevis var. strictiflorus

Symphyotrichum laeve (formerly Aster laevis) is a flowering plant native to Canada , the United States , and Coahuila (Mexico). It has the common names of smooth blue aster, smooth aster, smooth-leaved aster, glaucous Michaelmas-daisy and glaucous aster.

Description

Smooth aster is 20 to 70 centimeters (8 to 28 inches) tall. Its leaves are arranged alternately on the stems, and their shape varies among lanceolate, oblong-ovate, oblong-obovate, and ovate. They measure from 3 to 20 centimeters (1 to 8 inches) long and from 1 to 2.5 cm (³⁄₈ to 1 in) wide. They are usually hairless, and the leaf edges are entire or bluntly or sharply toothed (crenate or serrate), sometimes with smaller teeth (serrulate).

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The flower heads are arranged in clusters (panicles). Each flower head has 13 to 23 ray florets with pale to dark blue or purple petals (laminae), and 19 to 33 disc florets that start out yellow and eventually turn purplish-red. The whole flowerhead measures 13 to 25 millimeters (¹⁄₂ to 1 in) across.

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The seeds are cypselae with pappi (bristles at their tips). Like the hairs on dandelion seeds, the pappi allow the seeds to be spread by the wind.

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Taxonomy

There are four varieties: Symphyotrichum laeve var. laeve, S. laeve var. geyeri (Geyer's aster), S. laeve var. concinnum, and S. laeve var. purpuratum.

Hybrids with this species and others of the genus have been reported, including three named as follows:

• Symphyotrichum × gravesii between S. laeve var. laeve and S. dumosum;
• Symphyotrichum × versicolor between S. laeve var. laeve and S. novi-belgii var. novi-belgii; and,
• Symphyotrichum × woldenii between S. laeve var. laeve and S. praealtum, which instead may be between S. oolentangiense and S. praealtum.

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  Symphyotrichum × gravesii

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  Symphyotrichum × versicolor

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  Symphyotrichum × woldenii

Distribution and habitat

Symphyotrichum laeve varieties are native to Canada , the United States , and Coahuila (Mexico). The species is introduced in Québec and New Brunswick.

S. laeve grows in fields, open woods, and along roadsides in rocky or dry soil and full sun.

Ecology

Symphyotrichum laeve blooms in late summer and early fall. It is pollinated by many native bees and attracts butterflies. It is a larval host for the pearl crescent butterfly (Phyciodes tharos).

References

• "Symphyotrichum laeve (Linnaeus) Á. Löve & D. Löve" (in en). Database of Vascular Plants of Canada (VASCAN). 4 September 2020. https://data.canadensys.net/vascan/taxon/3545/. 
• Flora of North America Editorial Committee, ed. (2006), "Symphyotrichum laeve" (in en), Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA), 20, New York and Oxford, http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250005045, retrieved 14 September 2021 
• Template:Cite BSBI 2007
• "Plant Detail: Symphyotrichum laeve (smooth blue aster, smooth aster)" (in en). Toronto, Ontario: Evergreen. 2014. https://nativeplants.evergreen.ca/search/view-plant.php?ID=00125. 
• Template:Cite Illinois Wildflowers
• "Symphyotrichum laeve - Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder" (in en). St. Louis. n.d.. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=g420. 
• "Symphyotrichum laeve Smooth Blue Aster" (in en). Arlington, Virginia. 2 July 2021. https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.151439/Symphyotrichum_laeve. 
• "Symphyotrichum laeve (L.) Á.Löve & D.Löve" (in en). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2019. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:247114-2. 
• "Symphyotrichum laeve" (in en). University of Texas at Austin. 2017. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SYLA3. 
• "Symphyotrichum laeve" (in en). Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. 2014. https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=SYLA3. 

External links

• Astereae Lab - University of Waterloo
• Ontario Wildflowers

Wikidata ☰ {{{from}}} entry