Symphyotrichum laeve (L.) Á. Löve & D. Löve
smooth aster
Asteraceae (Aster family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
smooth aster
Asteraceae (Aster family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC
Species Information
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.
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Symphyotrichum laeve
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) |
1187 | 500 | 2012 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
27 | 0 | 82 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
212 | 10 | 360 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
3 | 1 | 7 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
C | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
110 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
IDF | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
ESSF(22), ICH(5), IDF(55), MS(25), PP(2) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and 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.Status Information
| Scientific Name | Origin Status | Provincial Status | BC List (Red Blue List) | COSEWIC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symphyotrichum laeve var. geyeri | Native | SU | Unknown | Not Listed |
| Symphyotrichum laeve var. laeve | Unlisted | Unknown (Non-established) | Not Listed |
BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer.
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Aster laevis