flat-topped aster

not listed

N4N5 - Apparently Secure to Secure

SNR - Unranked

not listed

OBL - Obligate wetland

FACW - Facultative wetland

FACW - Facultative wetland

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

The stems are erect or ascending and have fine longitudinal lines. They are usually unbranched below the inflorescence. They are rough to the touch due to a sparse to dense covering of minute, curved hairs.

Lower leaves are absent at flowering time. Middle and upper leaves are crowded, alternate, stalkless, broadly to narrowly elliptic or lance-elliptic, 2⅜″ to 4⅓″ long, and ½″ to 1″ wide. They are not stiff. They taper gradually to the stem at the base and taper to a sharp point at the tip. The upper surface hairless or sparsely to moderately covered with short, curly hairs. The lower surface is green and hairless or sparsely covered with long, soft, shaggy hairs. The margins are untoothed, finely hairy, and rolled inward toward the upper side.

The inflorescence is a flat-topped cluster (corymb) of usually 20 to 100 flower heads at the end of the stem.

The individual flower heads are ⅔″ to 1″ wide with up to 14 white ray florets and up to 40 pale yellow disk florets.

The fruit is an achene.

20″ to 78″

White ray florets, pale yellow disk florets

Flat-topped aster (Doellingeria umbellata var. pubens) lower leaf surface is gray or white due to a moderate to dense covering of fine, white, short hairs. The entire plant, including the upper leaf surfaces, is often densely covered with short, curved hairs. The flower heads are slightly smaller and have no more than 10 ray florets and 30 disk florets.

Moist. Meadows, clearings, thickets, wood margins.

July to September

Sources

3, 4, 7, 29, 30.

Native

Plant

Inflorescence

Flowers

Leaves

Stem