Wildflower named White Panicle Aster
by J McCombie
Title
Wildflower named White Panicle Aster
Artist
J McCombie
Medium
Photograph - Untouched
Description
The White Panicle Aster is a native North American perennial wildflower found in Canada from Alberta to the east coast and in the U.S. from the Great Plains eastward to the coast, with only Alabama, Georgia and Florida excepted. Common names include panicled aster, tall white aster, eastern line aster, lance-leaf aster, narrow-leaf Michaelmas daisy, and white-panicle aster. Other scientific names include: Aster lanceolatus, Aster hesperius, Aster paniculatus, Aster simplex. White Panicle Aster grows to 5 feet or 1.5 to 2 meters in height, stems are stout, grooved, and which can have fine hair, especially near the top, in the lines of the stem.
As the species name and the alternated common name implies, the leaves are lance-like, very linear, up to 6 inches long. They are smooth and entire on the margins or with a few small teeth, and are stalkless (sessile) or somewhat clasping. Largest leaves are near the center of the stem. Dead leaves remain on the stalk for a time and are noticeably curled. Lowest leaves fall off at flowering time (however, during moist cool years, most leaves remain green well into the flowering period). The floral array is an open spreading, branched panicle with ascending branches (which shape yields the current common name) of small white flowers. The flowers occur on all sides of the branches, unlike the Side-flowering Aster, Symphyotrichum lateriflorum, where the white flowers are in one plane on the panicle branches.
Heads are up to one inch wide, but usually 1/2 to 3/4 inch, consisting of two types of flowers: The outer ring of 17 to 47 ray florets (usually with white spreading rays) which are pistillate and fertile and which surround 16 to 38 tubular disc florets which are bisexual and fertile. These have whitish to yellowish corollas, turning reddish to purplish at maturity, similar to many of the asters in this genus. The five corolla lobes are mostly erect or may bend outward slightly when the floret opens. Anthers of the five stamens tightly surround the style which is greatly exserted from the corolla when the floret opens. The phyllaries around the outside of the flowerhead are in several series, linear, the outer series 1/3 to 1/2 the length of the inner series. These have dark green center stripes. Below the flower head are 1 to 3 small bracts that do not grade into the phyllaries.
Fertile flowers mature to a 4 to 5 nerved dry cypsela, 0.5 to 1.6 mm long, with a whitish pappus attached for wind dispersion. These seed heads are rounded and look like small dandelion seed heads. Seeds are very light, about 150,000 to the ounce and will germinate in a warm location, usually without the need for cold stratification.
There are five recognized varieties or two subspeciesof S. lanceolatum, depending on the authority, including the variety listed here plus var. hisperium, var. hirsutiicaule, and var. interior.
The plant grows from a rhizome with fibrous roots and forms colonies in moist low areas that can be in open woods or full sun if the soil is moist. Soil does not have to rich. It attracts butterflies, moths, and bees. This was a common tall grass prairie plant.
Like most new world asters, it has undergone a series of scientific name revisions. It was once Aster paniculatus in Eloise Butler's time, and sometimes Aster lanceolatus, then Aster simplex. All the new world asters, formerly in the genus Aster, have now been reclassified, most into the genus Symphyotrichum. The genus name is from the Greek symphysis, for 'junction', and 'trichos', for 'hair', all of which relates to a fine division by botanists of certain plant characteristics. The species lanceolatum means 'spear shaped' and refers to the leaf shape. The author names for the plant classification are as follows: The first to classify was Willd. which is for Carl Ludwig Willdenow (1765-1812), German botanist, a founder of the study of the geographic distribution of plants. His work was amended by G. L. Nesom is for Guy L. Nesom (b. 1945) American botanist who has published papers on the nomenclature of asters.
Asters that have similar looking branched panicles would be the Heath Aster, Symphyotrichum ericoides; the Arrow-leaved Aster, Symphyotrichum urophyllum; and the Calico Aster, Symphyotrichum lateriflorum. The Heath Aster has smaller flowers and very small leaves. The Calico Aster has only 9 to 15 ray flowers which are located on one side of a branch and the leaves are more oval. The Arrow-leaved aster is most similar in the appearance of the flower panicle except that the flowers can be only half the size. The leaves are also have arrow-shaped bases.
The Zuni people used this plant for wounds and nosebleed. The Iroquois used it to treat fever. An infusion of the plant, combined with another unnamed plant, has been used in the treatment of fevers. A decoction of the plant has been used to dress wounds. The dried and powdered plant has been used as a salve on abrasions. Smoke from the crushed blossoms has been inhaled in the treatment of nosebleeds.
Uploaded
January 30th, 2017
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