Symphyotrichum_undulatum

<i>Symphyotrichum undulatum</i>

Symphyotrichum undulatum

Species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to eastern North America

Symphyotrichum undulatum (formerly Aster undulatus) is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to eastern North America. Commonly known as wavyleaf aster,[3] it is a perennial, herbaceous plant that flowers August through October and may reach heights between 30 and 160 centimeters (1 and 5 feet).

Quick Facts Symphyotrichum undulatum, Conservation status ...

Description

Symphyotrichum undulatum is a perennial, herbaceous plant that flowers from August through October, growing to heights between 30 and 160 centimeters (1 and 5 feet) from a cespitose rootstock. The roots can have short rhizomes or branched and woody caudices.[3]

Its flowers have blue to purple, or sometimes lilac, ray florets and cream or light yellow, then purple, disk florets.[3]

Fruit

The fruits (seeds) of Symphyotrichum undulatum are not true achenes but are cypselae, resembling an achene but surrounded by a calyx sheath. This is true for all members of the Asteraceae family.[4] After pollination, they become dull purple to light brown or tan with an oblong-obovoid compressed shape, 1.7–2.2 mm[lower-alpha 1] in length with 3–4 nerves, and with a few stiff, slender bristles on the surface (strigillose). They also have tufts of hairs (pappi) which are cream or rose-tinged and 3.5–5 mm in length.[3]

Chromosomes

The species has a monoploid number (also called base number) of eight chromosomes (x = 8). Individual plants with 16 and 32 sets of its chromosomes have been found, meaning the species is diploid and tetraploid.[3]

Conservation

As of October 2022, NatureServe listed S. undulatum as Secure (G5) globally; Secure (S5) in New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and West Virginia; Apparently Secure (S4) in Virginia; Vulnerable (S3) in Indiana and Nova Scotia; and, Critically Imperiled (S1) in Illinois. The species' global status was last reviewed on 25 July 2016.[1]

Notes

  1. To convert millimeters to inches, divide the number of millimeters by exactly 25.4.

Citations

  1. [1]
    NatureServe 2022.
  2. [2]
    POWO 2022.
  3. [3]
    Brouillet et al. 2006.
  4. [4]
    Barkley, Brouillet & Strother 2006.

References

  • Barkley, T.M.; Brouillet, L.; Strother, J.L. (2006). "Asteraceae". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 19. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 3 October 2022 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  • Brouillet, L.; Semple, J.C.; Allen, G.A.; Chambers, K.L.; Sundberg, S.D. (2006). "Symphyotrichum undulatum". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 20. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 10 July 2021 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  • NatureServe (1 October 2022). "Symphyotrichum undulatum Wavyleaf Aster". explorer.natureserve.org. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  • POWO (2022). "Symphyotrichum undulatum (L.) G.L.Nesom". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
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