Symphyotrichum ciliatum (Ledeb.) G.L. Nesom
rayless alkali aster
Asteraceae (Aster family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
rayless alkali aster
Asteraceae (Aster family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Annual herb from a taproot; stems erect, simple or branched above, glabrous, 10-70 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves soon deciduous; stem leaves linear or nearly so, entire, 3-12 cm long, 1-9 mm wide.
Flowers:
Heads disciform, several to numerous in an open, branched or spikelike inflorescence; involucres 5-11 mm tall; involucral bracts equal or more often graduated in 2-3 series, linear, the tips sharp- to long-pointed, leafy, loose, glabrous; ray flowers lacking; female flowers white or pale lavender, more numerous than the disk flowers, with tubular-threadlike corollas.
Fruits:
Achenes appressed-hairy; pappus white, copious and soft, surpassing the corollas.
Illustration
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
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Symphyotrichum ciliatum
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) |
893 | 440 | 1080 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
0 | 0 | 2 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
90 | 90 | 90 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
5 | 5 | 6 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
D | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
5 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
IDF | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
IDF(3), PP(1) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Moist to mesic saline or alkaline sites in the steppe and lower montane zones; frequent in S BC east of the Coast-Cascade Mountains; N to YT and NT and E to MB and S to MN, MO, KS, CO and UT.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Aster brachyactis S.F. Blake
Brachyactis angusta (Lindl.) Britton
Brachyactis ciliata (Ledeb.) Ledeb.
Brachyactis ciliata subsp. angusta (Lindl.) A.G. Jones
Tripolium angustum Lindl.