Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Campanulids: Asterales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Symphyotrichum rhiannon
FAMILY
Asteraceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Test-drive A Teaching Key to Asters.
Read how Rhiannon's Aster got its name.
Read more about Symphyotrichum at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Symphyotrichum rhiannon
FAMILY
Asteraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Symphyotrichum rhiannon
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 19-20-21 (2006)
Symphyotrichum rhiannon
COMMON NAME:
Buck Creek Aster, Rhiannon's Aster
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
JK Marlow jkm060429_115
April Clay County NC
Nantahala National Forest: Tusquitee Ranger District
Leaf margins shallowly crenate to serrate-crenate, petioles winged, per Flora of North America.
)
Alan Cressler alc_3922869943_fdce8438eb
September Clay County NC
Nantahala National Forest: Tusquitee Ranger District
Heads in broad, cylindro-paniculiform arrays, branches ascending, per Flora of North America.
)
Alan Cressler alc_3922877507_12307c0c57
September Clay County NC
Nantahala National Forest: Tusquitee Ranger District
Ray florets 18-32, corollas 6-9 mm long, per A new species of Symphyotrichum from a serpentine barren in western North Carolina. Sida (Kauffman et al., 2004).
)
Alan Cressler alc_3923661866_741a780d41
September Clay County NC
Nantahala National Forest: Tusquitee Ranger District
Ray florets blue to lavender; disc florets yellow, lobes turning purple, per Flora of North America.
)
Alan Cressler alc_3923666606_a455e1a0b7
September Clay County NC
Nantahala National Forest: Tusquitee Ranger District
Phyllaries in 3-4 series, slightly unequal, narrowly oblong-lanceolate, per Flora of North America.
COMPARE
involucral bracts of North American asters
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Symphyotrichum rhiannon
FAMILY
Asteraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Symphyotrichum rhiannon
FAMILY
Asteraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Symphyotrichum rhiannon
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 19-20-21
Symphyotrichum rhiannon
2069
Forb
Habitat: ultramafic outcrop barren, per Weakley's Flora
Native to North Carolina
Rare (endemic to the Buck Creek Serpentine Barren, Clay County, NC)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate (basal leaves absent or withered at flowering)
FLOWER:
Fall
Rays: Blue/ Pale violet
Disc: Yellow, lobes becoming purple
Flower heads with 18-32 ray flowers
Inferior ovary
Disc flowers bisexual & fertile/ Ray flowers pistillate & fertile
Flower heads in narrow panicles
FRUIT:
Fall
Achene
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".