E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Symphyotrichum boreale (Torr. & A. Gray) Á. Löve & D. Löve
rush aster
Asteraceae (Aster family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Jamie Fenneman  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #10316)

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Distribution of Symphyotrichum boreale
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Species Information

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General:
Perennial herb from a slender, rhizome, seldom over 2 mm thick; stems erect, simple or branched above, glabrous below becoming hairy above, 15 to 80 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves reduced and soon deciduous; stem leaves linear, unstalked with rounded bases, glabrous, entire or inconspicuously toothed, 2-7 cm long, 2-9 mm wide, becoming reduced above.
Flowers:
Heads with ray and disk flowers, solitary (in reduced plants) to many in a short, usually broad inflorescence; involucres 5-7 mm tall; involucral bracts more or less graduated, oblong, abruptly sharp-pointed, glabrous, often with purplish tips or margins; ray flowers 20-50, white or rarely pale bluish, 12-20 mm; disk flowers yellow.
Fruits:
Achenes several-nerved, hairy; pappus white.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Marshes, bogs, fens and lakesides from the lowland to subalpine zones; common in S BC, less frequent northward; N to AK, YT and NT, E to PQ, PE and NS and S to NJ, MN, SD, CO, ID and OR

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Symphyotrichum boreale

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Minimum

Average

Maximum

Elevation (metres) 30 943 1480
Slope Gradient (%) 0 0 25
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]
30 164 216
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
3 6 8
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
D
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:
99
Modal BEC Zone Class
IDF
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: BG(1), BWBS(8), ESSF(3), ICH(13), IDF(29), MS(6), SBPS(23), SBS(13)

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Aster borealis (Torr. & A. Gray) Prov.
Aster franklinianus Rydb.
Aster junceus auct. non Aiton
Aster junciformis Rydb.
Aster laxifolius var. borealis Torr. & A. Gray

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References