Alexander's rock aster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alexander's rock aster |
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Eurybia avita, commonly called Alexander's rock aster, is a rare plant from North America. It's a type of flowering plant that lives for many years. This plant used to be called Aster avitus. It grows naturally in the southeastern United States. Scientists are worried about this plant because it is found in less than 50 places. It usually grows in sandy soil near granite rocks. It might even be completely gone from North Carolina.
The places where it grows are in danger from new buildings and people using the land for fun activities. Alexander's rock aster looks a lot like two other plants, E. surculosa and E. paludosa. More research is needed to understand how these three plants are related.
What Alexander's Rock Aster Looks Like
Alexander's rock aster is a plant that comes back every year. It can grow as tall as 80 centimeters (about 32 inches). It usually has 1 to 5 stems. This plant spreads using underground stems called rhizomes.
Its flowers appear in late summer to early fall. The plant produces 3 to 15 or more flower heads. These flower heads grow in a flat-topped group. Each flower head has 8 to 20 pale blue, purple, or violet ray florets. These are like the "petals" of a daisy. It also has 15 to 45 yellow disc florets in the center.
Where Alexander's Rock Aster Lives
Eurybia avita is found only in a few U.S. states. These states are Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. However, it is probably no longer found in North Carolina.
In South Carolina, it is known from only one spot in Pickens County. In Georgia, it can be found in about 40 to 45 different places. There are no known groups of this plant left in North Carolina. The first place this plant was found was Stone Mountain, but that group of plants is gone now.
This plant typically grows at heights between 100 and 500 meters (about 350 to 2800 feet). It likes shallow, sandy soils. You can often find it around the edges of granite rock areas.
