Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Campanulids: Asterales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Symphyotrichum concinnum
FAMILY
Asteraceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Test-drive A Teaching Key to Asters.
Very similar to S. laeve, but that plant has broader leaves whose bases clasp the stem. Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Symphyotrichum laeve var. concinnum
FAMILY
Asteraceae
INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Symphyotrichum laeve var. laeve
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 19-20-21 (2006)
Symphyotrichum laeve var. concinnum
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Symphyotrichum laeve var. concinnum
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-47-025b:
Aster laevis var. concinnus FAMILY Asteraceae
INCLUDED WITHIN Gray's Manual of Botany (Fernald, 1950)
Aster laevis
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Aster concinnus
COMMON NAME:
Narrowleaf Smooth Blue Aster, Harmonious Aster
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_asco23_001_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm060928_040
September York County SC
Utility right-of-way
Leaves lanceolate, 1-2 cm wide, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm060928_044
September York County SC
Utility right-of-way
There are 15-20 blue or violet rays in each 3/4" head, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_s_laeve_concinnum
October
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Symphyotrichum concinnum
FAMILY
Asteraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Symphyotrichum laeve var. concinnum
FAMILY
Asteraceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Symphyotrichum laeve var. laeve
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 19-20-21
Symphyotrichum laeve var. concinnum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Symphyotrichum laeve var. concinnum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-47-025b:
Aster laevis var. concinnus
FAMILY
Asteraceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Gray's Manual of Botany (Fernald, 1950)
Aster laevis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Aster concinnus
2130
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: Dry woodlands and prairies over mafic or calcareous rocks, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas
Rare
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate, rarely basal
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Rays: Blue/ Violet
Disc: Yellow becoming reddish-purple
Flower heads with 15-20 ray flowers
Inferior ovary
Disc flowers bisexual & fertile/ Ray flowers pistillate & fertile
Flower heads in panicles
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Brown
Achene
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- All About South Carolina Wildflowers (Midgley, 1999) p113?
- Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee (Hunter, 2002) p109?
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p172
- Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005) p277?
- Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005) p326?
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p211
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".