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Symphyotrichum ×amethystinum
Symphyotrichum ×amethystinum (Nutt.) G.L. Nesom
Amethyst Aster
Asteraceae (Aster Family)
Synonym(s): Aster amethystinus, Aster ×amethystinus, Lasallea ×amethystina, Virgulus ×amethystinus
USDA Symbol: SYAM3
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
A naturally-occurring hybrid of Symphyotrichum ericoides and Symphyotrichum novae-angliae.
From the Image Gallery
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Inflorescence: Panicle
Size Notes: 30-120 cm. (Webref 3).
Leaf: Leaves light green, thin to firm; basal withering by flowering, sessile, blades oblanceolate, 10-40 x 3-10 mm, attenuate, margins usually entire, rarely remotely serrate, piloso-ciliate, apices obtuse, rounded to mucronulate, faces sparsely to moderately strigose; proximal cauline sometimes persistent by flowering, sessile, blades linear or oblong to elliptic-oblanceolate, 40-60 x 3-10 mm, bases rounded or slightly clasping, margins entire, scabrous, apices acute to obtuse, faces more or less copiously hirsute; distal sessile, blades oblanceolate, 15-45 x 2-3(-4.5) mm, progressively reduced distally, bases cuneate, margins entire, apices acute, white-spine-tipped, faces sparsely strigose. (Webref 3).
Flower: Ray florets 20-35; corollas azure blue to violet or lavender, laminae 5-10 x 0.6-1.2 mm. Disc florets 20-30+; corollas light yellow turning pinkish to purple, 3-4 mm, tubes ca. 1/2 narrowly funnelform throats, lobes triangular, 0.5-0.7 mm, glabrous. (Webref 3).
Fruit: Cypselae dull purple or brown, obovoid, not compressed, 1.5-2 mm, 7-9-nerved, faces densely sericeous; pappi tan to tawny, sometimes rose to violet-tinged, 3.5-5.5 mm. (Webref 3).
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: Blue , Purple , VioletBloom Time: Aug , Sep , Oct
Distribution
USA: CO , CT , IA , IL , IN , KY , MA , MD , MN , MO , ND , NE , NJ , NY , PA , RI , VT , WA , WICanada: ON
Native Habitat: Fields, prairies, disturbed grounds; 200-400 m. (Webref 3).
Web Reference
Webref 3 - Flora of North America (2014) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Additional resources
USDA: Find Symphyotrichum ×amethystinum in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Symphyotrichum ×amethystinum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Symphyotrichum ×amethystinum
Metadata
Record Modified: 2013-05-01Research By: Joseph A. Marcus