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

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