Symphyotrichum sericeum

Symphyotrichum sericeum (formerly Aster sericeus) is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to central North America. Commonly known as western silver aster,Template:Sfn western silvery aster,Template:Sfn and silky aster,Template:Sfn it is a perennial, herbaceous plant that may reach tall. Its flowers have purple ray florets and pink then purple disk florets, and its leaves are firm and silvery-green.

Description

Symphyotrichum sericeum is a perennial herb growing from rhizomes that may reach tall. Leaf texture is sericeous, giving the leaves a silvery-green appearance. The inflorescences are erect and parallel, and the involucral bracts of the flower heads are ovate to lanceolate in shape and sericeous. The flowers have purple ray florets and pink then purple disk florets. The fruit is a cypsela.Template:Sfn

• Symphyotrichum sericeum leaves close-up
  Symphyotrichum sericeum leaves close-up
• Symphyotrichum sericeum inflorescence
  Symphyotrichum sericeum inflorescence

Distribution and habitat

The species is native to central North America in the states and provinces of Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Manitoba, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.Template:Sfn

It can be found in dry sandy or partially sandy, limestone, or calcareous soil at elevations of or higher.Template:Sfn

Conservation

since July 2021Template:Dated maintenance category (articles), NatureServe listed Symphyotrichum sericeum as Secure (G5) worldwide, last reviewed in 2002, with state and province statuses as follows: Critically Imperiled (S1) in Ontario and Oklahoma; and, Imperiled (S2) in Manitoba, North Dakota, Michigan, Indiana, and Arkansas.Template:Sfn

References

• Template:Cite eFloras
• Template:Cite POWO
• Template:Cite PLANTS