[Members of the Sunflower Family with Daisy- or Sunflower-like Flower Heads]
The Asters of the Columbia River Gorge

Wildflowers of the Genus Aster

The photo above shows the involucral bracts of rough-leaved aster as seen at the east side of Mt. Adams.......................August 25, 2005. 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 tend to be roughly the same length.
The photo at right shows the radiate flower head of Aster modestus.

1. Great Northern Aster: Canadanthus modestus (Aster modestus) -

2. Klickitat Aster: Eucephalus glaucescens (Aster glaucescens) -

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

4. Rough-leaf Aster: Eurybia radulina (Aster radulinus) -

5. Alpine Aster: Oreostemma alpigenum var. alpigenum (Aster alpigenus var. alpigenus) -

6. Oregon White-top Aster: Sericocarpus oregonensis var. oregonensis (Aster oregonensis) -

7. Long-leaved Aster: Symphyotrichum ascendens (Aster ascendens (A. chilensis)) - Flower heads small with conspicuous outer bracts. Stem leaves very short and linear, close to stem. Long narrow basal leaves. Disk flowers yellow and ray flowers pink to lavender.

8. Western Meadow Aster: Symphyotrichum campestre (Aster campestris) -

9. Eaton's Aster: Symphotrichum eatonii (Aster eatonii) - Plant to 3 1/2 feet in height. The leaves are linear t lanceolate and up to 15 cm long. The daisy like flowers have white or pink rays and a yellow central disk. The stem may be minutely haired, while the leaves are smooth or rough. The inflorescence is leafy.

10. Tufted White Prairie Aster: Symphyotrichum ericoides var. pansum (Aster pansus) -

11. Leafy Aster: Symphotrichum foliaceum var. parryi (Aster foliaceus var. parryi) -

12. Alkali Aster, Short-rayed Alkali Aster: Symphyotrichum frondosum (Aster frondosus) -

13. English Aster: Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (Aster novae-angliae) -

14. Western Aster: Symphotrichum spathulatum var. intermedium (Aster occidentalis var. intermedius) -

15. Western Aster: Symphyotrichum spathulatum var. spathulatum (Aster occidentalis var. occidentalis) -

16. Douglas' Aster: Symphotrichum subspicatum var. subspicatum (Aster subspicatus) -

Paul Slichter