Symphyotrichum dumosum

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Symphyotrichum dumosum
Symphyotrichum dumosum IWF.jpg
Photo by John Hilty hosted at IllinoisWildflowers.info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida - Dicots
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Symphyotrichum
Species: S. dumosum
Binomial name
Symphyotrichum dumosum
(L.) G.L. Nesom
SYMP DUMO DIST.JPG
Natural range of Symphyotrichum dumosum from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common Name(s): long-stalked aster;[1] rice button aster[2]

Taxonomic Notes

Varieties: S. dumosum var. dumosum; S. dumosum var. gracilipes; S. dumosum var. pergracile; S. dumosum var. strictior; S. dumosum var. subulifolium[1][2]

Description

Symphyotrichum dumosum is a dioecious perennial forb/herb.[2] The plant is stiff with leafy branches possessing numerous flower heads. Flowers consist of white to pale lavender rays with a yellow to brown central disk.[3][4] Rays are 3-5 mm long, 0.9-1.2 mm wide, and numbered between 8-15 per flower. Its roots are creeping, branching, short, stout, and herbaceous[4] averaging a maximum depth of 17.00 cm and having a mean root porosity of 54.5%.[5]

Distribution

S. dumosum occurs from New Brunswick and Maine, south to Florida, and westward to Texas, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ontario, Canada.[2]

Ecology

Habitat

S. dumosum can be found in old fields, disturbed areas, pastures, woodlands, glades.[1] While widely found in the southern extent of its range, it is restricted to shorelines in the northern portion of its range.[3] In clayhill longleaf woodlands of the Florida panhandle, S. dumosum occurred in 93% of plots and had a mean coverage of 0.0109 m-2. Upper panhandle savannas had the same mean coverage but a higher frequency (100%) of S. dumosum, while panhandle seepage savannas had a 100% frequency but 0.0035 m-2 mean coverage.[6]

Phenology

Flowering occurs in late August through October,[1] although reports of flowering exist for several months throughout the year.[7]

Fire ecology

In a 47 year unburned Florida area (NB66), Symphyotrichum dumosum occurred in 31% of the 1 m2 plots; initially, it did not occur.[8] This may suggest it is not very tolerant of fire.

Pollination

This species is known to attract several species of native bees.[3]

Conservation and Management

Cultivation and restoration

Photo Gallery

References and notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Weakley AS (2015) Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Herbarium.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 USDA NRCS (2016) The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 12 January 2018). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Plant database: Symphyotrichum dumosum. (12 January 2018) Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. URL: https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SYDU2
  4. 4.0 4.1 Chmielewski JG, Semple JC (2001) The biology of Canadian weeds. 113. Symphyotrichum lanceolatum (Willd.) Nesom [Aster lanceolatus Willd.] and S. lateriflorum (L.) Love & Love [Aster lateriflorus (L.) Britt.]. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 81:829-849.
  5. Brewer JS, Baker DJ, Nero AS, Patterson AL, Roberts RS, Turner LM (2011) Carnivory in plants as a beneficial trait in wetlands. Aquatic Botany 94:62-70.
  6. Carr SC, Robertson KM, Peet RK (2010) A vegetation classification of fire-dependent pinelands of Florida. Castanea 75(2):153-189.
  7. Nelson G (12 January 2018) PanFlora. Retrieved from gilnelson.com/PanFlora/
  8. Clewell AF (2014) Forest development 44 years after fire exclusion in formerly annually burned oldfield pine woodland, Florida. Castanea 79(3):147-167.