[Members of the Sunflower Family with Daisy- or Sunflower-like Flower Heads in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]

Asters of the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Wildflowers of the Genera Canadanthus, Eucephalus, Eurybia, Oreostemma and Seriocarpus and Symphyotrichum

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.

Great Northern Aster: Canadanthus modestus (Aster modestus)

The photo at right shows the radiate flower head of Aster modestus.

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

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

Cascade Aster: Eucephalus ledophyllus var. ledophyllus (Synonyms: Aster ledophyllus, Aster ledophyllus var. covillei, Aster ledophyllus var. ledophyllus, Eucephalus ledophyllus var. covillei, Eucephalus ledophyllus var. ledophyllus) -

Rough-leaf Aster, 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) -

Oregon White-top Aster, Oregon White-topped Aster: Sericocarpus oregonensis ssp. oregonensis (Synonyms: Aster oregonensis, Aster oregonensis ssp. oregonensis, Sericocarpus oregonensis var. oregonensis) -

Columbian White-topped Aster, Columbian Whitetop Aster, Rigid White-topped Aster: Sericocarpus rigidus (Synonym: Aster curtus) -

Intermountain Aster, Long-leaved Aster , Western American Aster, Western Aster: Symphyotrichum ascendens (Synonyms: Aster adscendens, Aster ascendens, Aster chilensis ssp. adscendens) - 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.

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

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

Alkali American Aster, Rayless Alkali Aster, Rayless Annual Aster: Symphyotrichum ciliatum (Synonym: Aster brachyactis) -

Little Gray Aster, Tufted White Prairie Aster, White Heath Aster: Symphyotrichum ericoides var. pansum (Synonyms: Aster ericoides ssp. pansus, Aster ericoides var. pansus, Aster falcatus, Aster falcatus var. crassulus, Aster pansus) -

Leafy Aster, Leafybract Aster, Parry's Leafybract Aster: Symphotrichum foliaceum var. parryi (Synonyms: Aster foliaceus var. canbyi, Aster foliaceus var. frondeus, Aster foliaceus var. parryi) - Note: All varieties of this taxon are lumped into Symphyotrichum foliaceum in Washington.

Alkali Aster, Short-rayed Alkali Aster, Short-rayed Aster: Symphyotrichum frondosum (Synonyms: Aster frondosus, Brachyactis frondosa) -

Hall's Aster: Symphyotrichum hallii (Synonyms: Aster chilensis, Aster chilensis ssp. hallii, Aster hallii) -

English Aster, New England Aster: Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (Synonym: Aster novae-angliae) -

Larger Western Mountain Aster, Western Aster, Western Mountain Aster: Symphotrichum spathulatum var. intermedium (Synonyms: Aster occidentalis ssp. occidentalis, Aster occidentalis var. occidentalis, Aster spathulatus var. intermedius) -

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

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

Paul Slichter