flat-topped aster

Flat-topped aster, also known as parasol whitetop, is a native summer wildflower. It occurs in the United States and southern Canada east of the Great Plains. There are two varieties of flat-topped aster, and both are found in Minnesota.

Flat-topped aster is found in a variety of open area including meadows, prairies, thickets, fens, and woodland openings. It grows under full or partial sun in moist. well drained, often sandy soil. It is often used in gardens.

Flat-topped aster is an erect, 20″ to 78″ tall, perennial forb that rises usually on a single stem, rarely a few stems, from a creeping rhizome. It sometimes forms colonies.

The stem is erect, and can be branched or unbranched.

The leaves are alternate, lance-shaped, pointed at the tip, and typically around 5-15 cm in length. The margins are toothed.

The inflorescence is a branched cluster (panicle) of flowers at the end of the stem. The panicle is flat-topped and compound, meaning that each branch of the cluster ends with a cluster.

The individual flowers are white or pale lavender and have both male and female reproductive organs.

The fruit is a small, dry, 2-3 mm long, single-seeded capsule with a tuft of hairs at the end (achene).

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 28, 29, 30.