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Symphyotrichum dumosum facts for kids

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Bushy aster, Rice button aster
Symphyotrichum dumosum 105952922.jpg
Conservation status

Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Genus:
Symphyotrichum
Species:
dumosum
Synonyms

Listed alphabetically

Symphyotrichum dumosum (formerly Aster dumosus) is a species of flowering plant in the aster family. It is native to a widespread area across the eastern half of the United States from Texas to Florida to Maine to Wisconsin. It is also native to Ontario, introduced in New Brunswick, and cultivated in other places. It is commonly known as rice button aster and bushy aster.

Name

Symphyotrichum dumosum is known as bushy aster, rice button aster, rice-button aster, long-stalk aster; aster nain d'automne and aster touffu in French; and, Kissen-Aster, Kissen-Herbstaster, and buschige Aster in German.

Description

This herbaceous perennial grows up to 100 cm (40 in) tall. The flower heads are born in paniculiform arrays. The ray florets are blue, pink, purple or white, while the disc florets are pale yellow, turning pink with age.

Taxonomy

This species was long known as Aster dumosus before it was moved into its current genus due to a phylogenetic analysis. The genus Aster has been narrowed considerably in scope in recent years, due to new information about the relationships of the species in the group.

The following varieties are recognized by some sources:

  • Symphyotrichum dumosum var. dumosum
  • Symphyotrichum dumosum var. gracilipes (Wiegand) G.L.Nesom
  • Symphyotrichum dumosum var. pergracile (Wiegand) G.L.Nesom
  • Symphyotrichum dumosum var. strictior (Torr. & A.Gray) G.L.Nesom
  • Symphyotrichum dumosum var. subulifolium (Torr. & A.Gray) G.L.Nesom

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