flat-topped aster

(Doellingeria umbellata var. umbellata)

Conservation Status
flat-topped aster (var. umbellata)
 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

N4N5 - Apparently Secure to Secure

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

OBL - Obligate wetland

     
  Midwest

FACW - Facultative wetland

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FACW - Facultative wetland

     
           
 
Description
 
 

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, 2 to 4 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 to 1 wide with up to 14 white ray florets and up to 40 pale yellow disk florets.

The fruit is an achene.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

20 to 78

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

White ray florets, pale yellow disk florets

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

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.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Moist. Meadows, clearings, thickets, wood margins.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

July to September

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

3, 4, 7, 29, 30.

 
  4/20/2023      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

 

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants)  
  Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)  
  Superorder Asteranae  
 

Order

Asterales (sunflowers, bellflowers, fanflowers, and allies)  
 

Family

Asteraceae (sunflowers, daisies, asters, and allies)  
  Subfamily Asteroideae  
  Supertribe Asterodae  
  Tribe Astereae (asters and allies)  
  Subtribe Doellingeriinae (white-top asters)  
  Genus Doellingeria (whitetops)  
  Species Doellingeria umbellata (flat-topped aster)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

 

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

 

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

flat-topped aster

parasol whitetop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Achene

A dry, one-chambered, single-seeded fruit, formed from a single carpel, with the seed attached to the membranous outer layer (wall) only by the seed stalk; the wall, formed entirely from the wall of the superior ovary, does not split open at maturity, but relies on decay or predation to release the contents.

 

Corymb

A flat-topped or convex inflorescence in which the stalked flowers grow upward from various points on the main stem to approximately the same horizontal plane. The outer flowers open first.

 
 
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Plant

 
    flat-topped aster (var. umbellata)   flat-topped aster (var. umbellata)  
           
    flat-topped aster (var. umbellata)   flat-topped aster (var. umbellata)  
           
    flat-topped aster (var. umbellata)   flat-topped aster (var. umbellata)  
           
 

Inflorescence

 
    flat-topped aster (var. umbellata)   flat-topped aster (var. umbellata)  
           
    flat-topped aster (var. umbellata)      
           
 

Flowers

 
    flat-topped aster (var. umbellata)      
           
 

Leaves

 
    flat-topped aster (var. umbellata)      
           
 

Stem

 
    flat-topped aster (var. umbellata)      

 

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