[Members of the Sunflower Family with Daisy-like Heads in Mt. Adams Country]

The Asters of Mt. Adams

The Genera Canadanthus, Eucephalus, Eurybia, Oreostemma, and Symphyotrichum

(formerly the genus Aster)

The photo at right shows the involucral bracts of rough-leaved aster. Note the shingled appearance of the purple-tipped involucral bracts. The fleabanes (genus Erigeron) and asters are often both similar in appearance and can be distinguished partly by bloom period (the fleabanes tend to bloom earlier and the asters later) and by the arrangement of the involucral bracts. The bracts of the asters, as seen here, tend to overlap like shingles, with the outermost the shortest and the innermost the longest. All the bracts of the fleabanes generally tend to be roughly the same length.
The flower head of leafy Aster (var. parryi) shown at right. The rays of the asters tend to be fewer in number and broader than those of most of the fleabanes.

Few-flowered Aster, Giant Mountain Aster, Great Northern Aster: Canadanthus modestus (Synonyms: Aster major, Aster modestus, Aster modestus var. major, Aster sayianus, Aster unalaschensis, Aster unalaschensis var. major, Weberaster modestus) -

Engelmann's Aster: Eucephalus engelmannii (Synonym: Aster engelmannii) -

Klickitat Aster: Eucephalus glaucescens (Synonyms: Aster engelmannii var. glaucescens, Aster glaucescens) -

Cascade Aster: Eucephalus ledophyllus var. ledophyllus (Synonym: Aster ledophyllus var. ledophyllus) -

Rough-leaved Aster: Eurybia radulina (Synonym: Aster radulinus) -

Alpine Aster, Tundra Aster: Oreostemma alpigenum var. alpigenum (Synonyms: Aster alpigenus, Aster alpigenus ssp. alpigenus, Aster alpigenus var. alpigenus, Haplopappus alpigenus) -

Bracted Aster, Eaton's Aster, Oregon Aster: Symphyotrichum bracteolatum (Synonyms: Aster eatonii, Symphyotrichum eatonii)

Western Meadow Aster: Symphyotrichum campestre (Synonyms: Aster campestris, Aster campestris var. bloomeri, Aster campestris var. campestris, Symphyotrichum campestre var. bloomeri, Symphyotrichum campestre var. campestre) -

Leafy Aster: Symphyotrichum foliaceum var. apricum (Synonym: Aster foliaceus var. apricus) -

Leafy Aster: Symphyotrichum foliaceum var. parryi (Synonym: Aster foliaceus var. parryi) -

Western Aster, Western Mountain Aster: Symphyotrichum spathulatum (Synonyms: Aster occidentalis, Aster occidentalis var. fremontii, Aster occidentalis var. intermedius, Aster occidentalis var. occidentalis, Aster spathulatus, Aster spathulatus var. spathulatus, Aster vallicola, Symphyotrichum spathulatum var. intermedium, Symphyotrichum spathulatum var. spathulatum, Symphyotrichum spathulatum var. yosemitanum) -

Douglas' Aster, Douglas's Aster: Symphyotrichum subspicatum (Synonyms: Aster bulteri, Aster douglasii, Aster maccallae, Aster subspicatus, Aster subspicatus var. grayi, Aster subspicatus var. subspicatus, Symphyotrichum subspicatum var. grayi, Symphyotrichum subspicatum var. subspicatum) -

Unidentified Aster: possibly Western Mountain Aster Symphyotrichum spathulatum -

Paul Slichter E-mail