Alkali marsh aster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alkali marsh aster |
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Astereae
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Almutaster
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A. pauciflorus
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| Almutaster pauciflorus (Nutt.) Á.Löve & D.Löve
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Almutaster is a type of plant found in North America. It belongs to the aster family. There is only one species in this group, called Almutaster pauciflorus. You might know it by its common name, the alkali marsh aster. It used to be called Aster pauciflorus. This plant grows naturally in Canada, the Western United States, and parts of northern and central Mexico.
Contents
About the Alkali Marsh Aster
Where the Alkali Marsh Aster Grows
Almutaster pauciflorus likes to grow in wet, alkaline (meaning it has a high pH) and saline soils (meaning it's salty). You can often find it in places like inland salt marshes or salt flats.
What the Alkali Marsh Aster Looks Like
This plant is a perennial herb. This means it's a plant that lives for more than two years and doesn't have a woody stem. Its stem is usually reddish-green and can grow from about 30 to 120 centimeters tall. The stem also has tiny glands.
The leaves of the alkali marsh aster are narrow and can be up to 10 centimeters long. The plant's inflorescence (which is a group or cluster of flowers) forms an open array of flower heads. These flower heads have white to pale purple ray florets (the petal-like parts) and a center of yellow disc florets. The outside of the flower head is covered with special leaves called phyllaries. These phyllaries have tiny white resin glands on them. After the flowers, the plant produces a hairy fruit called an achene.
How It Helps Nature
The flower heads of the alkali marsh aster are a food source for adult Lepidoptera. This group includes butterflies and moths. Even though they eat from the flowers, they might not be the main creatures that help the plant spread its pollen.
See also
In Spanish: Almutaster para niños
