Symphyotrichum ericoides (L.) G.L. Nesom
White Heath Aster (Rayless Alkali Aster; tufted white prairie aster)
Asteraceae (Aster family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
White Heath Aster (Rayless Alkali Aster; tufted white prairie aster)
Asteraceae (Aster family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC
Symphyotrichum ericoides var. pansum
Species Information
General:
Perennial herb from a fibrous-rooted short rhizome or branched, woody stem-base; stems ascending, much branched and hairy above, 30-200 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves soon deciduous; stem leaves numerous, linear, short-haired to glabrate, rough-margined, often spine-tipped, 2-7 cm long, 1-6 mm wide.
Flowers:
Heads with ray and disk flowers, usually numerous in a branched open inflorescence, tending to become one-sided on the recurving branches; involucres 4-7 mm tall; involucral bracts graduated, outermost spreading and spoon-shaped, the others mostly linear, spine-tipped, with a whitish base and firm green tips, often hairy on the margins and back; ray flowers 12-30, white, 3-8 mm long; disk flowers yellow.
Fruits:
Achenes appressed-hairy; pappus white to straw-colored.
Notes:
Aster ericoides ssp. pansus is easily confused with A. falcatus which has a similar ecology and distribution. The former, however, has numerous flowers borne on the recurved-ascending branches while the latter has flowers usually borne singly on the ends of the branches.
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Symphyotrichum ericoides
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)
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 |
||
|
Avg |
Min |
Max |
|
| Elevation
(metres) |
877 | 320 | 1301 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
7 | 0 | 70 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
200 | 0 | 360 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
4 | 1 | 7 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
D | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
91 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
IDF | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
BG(19), ICH(2), IDF(57), PP(11), SBPS(1) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Mesic to dry grasslands, shrublands, alkaline flats, rocky slopes, disturbed areas and open forests in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; common in SC and SE BC, less frequent in NE BC, rare on S Vancouver Island; N to YT and NT, E to MB and S to UT, AZ and OR.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Aster ericoides