panicled aster

(Symphyotrichum lanceolatum)

Overview

 

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Panicled aster, also known as lanceleaf aster, is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family. It is native to North America, and is commonly found in prairies, meadows, and open woods. It is one of the most common asters in Minnesota.

Panicled aster is an important plant for ecosystem health, as it provides food and habitat for a variety of wildlife species. It has also been used in traditional medicine by indigenous peoples, who brewed the leaves into a tea to treat coughs and fevers. Today, it is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant in gardens and landscaping projects.

 
           
 
Description
 
 

Panicled aster is a perennial herb that typically grows to be 1-3 feet tall. It has a slender, branching stem that is typically covered in fine, whitish hairs. The leaves are alternate, generally lance-shaped, as the common name suggests, and have a pointed tip. They are typically 2-6 cm long and 0.5-1 cm wide, and have a slightly rough texture.

The flowers are small and daisy-like, with white to pale blue-purple ray petals surrounding a yellow disk center. The flowers are produced in loose clusters at the end of the stems, and bloom from late summer to early fall.

The fruit of the plant is a small, dry, brownish achene that is dispersed by wind.

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 28, 29, 30.

 
  3/4/2023      
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants)  
  Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)  
  Superorder Asteranae  
 

Order

Asterales (sunflowers, bellflowers, fanflowers, and allies)  
 

Family

Asteraceae (sunflowers, daisies, asters, and allies)  
  Subfamily Asteroideae  
  Supertribe Asterodae  
  Tribe Astereae (asters and allies)  
  Subtribe Symphyotrichinae  
  Genus Symphyotrichum (American asters)  
  Subgenus Symphyotrichum (common American asters)  
  Section Symphyotrichum (bushy, eastern, heart-leaved, and old field asters)  
  Subsection Dumosi (bushy asters)  
 

 

   
 

This and other asters were formerly place in the genus Aster. That genus was problematic, in that it did not include just one common ancestor with all of its lineal descendants and no others – it was not monophyletic. In 1994, the genus Symphyotrichum was resurrected to include most North American asters formerly in the genus Aster.

 
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

common panicled aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum ssp. lanceolatum)

Siskiyou aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum ssp. hesperium)

 
       
 

There are two subspecies and five varieties of panicled aster. All of the varieties are nested within the subspecies. Both subspecies and all five varieties occur in Minnesota.

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Aster lanceolatus

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

lanceleaf aster

panicled aster

white panicle aster

white panicled aster

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

Agassiz Dunes SNA

Belgium Prairie

Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park

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Charles A. Lindbergh State Park

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Dry Sand WMA

Felton Prairie SNA, Bicentennial Unit

Felton WMA

Foxhome Prairie

Glacial Lakes State Park

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Leif Mountain

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Mound Spring Prairie SNA, North Unit

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Hoffman Unit

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Pavia Unit

Old Mill State Park

Otter Tail Prairie SNA

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Pin Oak Prairie SNA

Prairie Creek WMA, Koester Prairie Unit

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Red Rock Prairie

Rice Lake Savanna SNA

River Terrace Prairie SNA

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Sandpiper Prairie SNA

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Twin Valley Prairie Addition

Twin Valley Prairie SNA

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Whitetail Woods Regional Park

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