General:
Perennial herb from a creeping rhizome; stems erect, usually single and branched above, glandular, 0.3-1.0 m tall.

Leaves:
Basal and lowermost leaves small, stalked and soon deciduous; stem leaves egg-shaped to elliptic, clasping, mostly unstalked, 6-18 cm long, 2-8 cm wide, thick, saw-toothed, with short, stiff hairs; sand-papery to touch when mature.

Flowers:
Heads few to many in an open, round-topped inflorescence; involucres 9-12 mm tall; involucral bracts lanceolate, densely glandular, green at the tip, whitish at the base; ray flowers 12-35, blue to violet, 10-15 mm long; disk flowers yellow.

Fruits:
Achenes several-nerved, appressed-hairy; pappus whitish.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Aster conspicuous
Aster conspicuus Lindl.