Symphyotrichum patens (Aster p.)|late purple aster|Asteraceae

Aster patens.Martha Baskin.Used by permission of the North Carolina Native Plant Society.ncwildflower.org. (Accessed 3/2014).

Symphyotrichum patens is a perennial herb 20-150 cm, from a root crown, stems hairy, slender, rather brittle.

Leaves alternate, oblong, 2.5-15 cm long, 0.8-4.5 cm wide, base lobed, clasping stem, soon deciduous.

Flowers blue, rays 15-25, 0.8-1.5 cm, disk flowers yellow, radially symmetrical, bracteate base of flower head 0.5-0.9 cm long, overlapping in 3-4 rows, hairy-glandular, papery, blooming Aug.-Oct.

Fruit dry, 1-seeded, achene, with tuft of hairs (pappus), wind dispersed.

Wetland status: UPL.

Frequency in NYC: Very infrequent.

Origin: Native.

Habitat: Dry, open woods.

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Symphyotrichum patens (Aster p.) late purple aster Asteraceae ASPA; Bx, pb (DeCandido 2001); R (DeCandido 2001);