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

Symphyotrichum laeve var. geyeri (L.) Á. Löve & D. Löve (A. Gray) G.L. Nesom
smooth aster
Asteraceae (Aster family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Jamie Fenneman  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #30148)

E-Flora BC Static Map
Distribution of Symphyotrichum laeve var. geyeri
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Species Information

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General:
Perennial herb from a fibrous-rooted, usually short rhizome or woody stem-base; stems erect, branched above, glabrous or nearly so, 0.4-1.2 m tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves stalked and soon deciduous; stem leaves lanceolate to broadly lanceolate or egg-shaped, unstalked and usually clasping, 8-18 cm long, 1-3.5 cm wide, entire or shallowly toothed, glabrous or nearly so and tending to be glaucous.
Flowers:
Heads with ray and disk flowers, few to many in an open, round-topped inflorescence; involucres 5-7 mm tall; involucral bracts graduated, linear or often awl-shaped, sharply pointed with elongate green tips, margins fringed with small hairs; ray flowers 15-30, blue or purple, 6-10 mm long; disk flowers yellow.
Fruits:
Achenes 4-5 nerved, glabrous; pappus usually reddish.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Mesic to dry meadows and forests in the lowland and montane zones; common in S BC east of the Coast-Cascade Mountains and S of 55degreeN, less frequent in NE BC and S Vancouver Island, lacking from NW BC; N to NT, E to ON and S to KS, MO, UT, NM and OR.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Symphyotrichum laeve var. geyeri

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) 809 809 809
Slope Gradient (%) 43 43 43
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]
140 139 140
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
3 3 3
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
C
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:
1
Modal BEC Zone Class
ICH
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: ICH(1)

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 geyeri (A. Gray) Howell
Aster laevis subsp. geyeri
Aster laevis var. geyeri A. Gray
Aster laevis var. guadalupensis A.G. Jones
Aster pickettianus Suksd.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References