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

Symphyotrichum bracteolatum (A. Gray) G.L. Nesom
Eaton's aster
Asteraceae (Aster family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Paul Handford  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #68747)

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Distribution of Symphyotrichum bracteolatum
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Species Information

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General:
Perennial herb from a creeping rhizome; stems erect to ascending, minutely and uniformly hairy, 0.4-1.0 m tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves mostly deciduous by flowering time; stem leaves linear to lanceolate, unstalked, glabrous to short, rough-hairy, 5-15 cm long, 4-20 mm wide, often with shorter, linear axillary leaves.
Flowers:
Heads with ray and disk flowers, numerous in a relatively narrow, branching inflorescence; involucres 4.5-10 mm tall; involucral bracts oblanceolate to spoon-shaped or the inner ones linear, abruptly sharp-pointed, often loose, fringed below, glabrous on the backs, the leafy tips of the outer ones longer than the pale base and spreading; ray flowers 20-40, white, pink or rarely lavender or blue, 5-12 mm long; disk flowers yellow.
Fruits:
Achenes several-nerved, sparsely hairy; pappus white.
Notes:
This species was treated as Aster bracteolatus by Douglas (1989, 1995) based on the examination of the type specimen by Dr. K.L. Chambers (Dean and Chambers 1983). More recently, Dr. G.A. Allen (1993, pers. comm.), retained the use of A. eatonii since there is still confusion as to which taxon the type specimen actually represents.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Moist to wet marshes, streamsides, lakesides and ditches in the lowland, steppe and lower montane zones; frequent in S BC; E to SK and S to NM and CA.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Symphyotrichum bracteolatum

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) 590 1067 1610
Slope Gradient (%) 0 10 50
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]
45 288 335
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
3 5 7
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
C
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:
13
Modal BEC Zone Class
IDF
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: ICH(1), IDF(5), MS(3), PP(1), SBPS(1)

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Symphyotrichum eatonii (A. Gray) G.L. Nesom

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References