Aster puniceus

      
Purple-Stemmed Aster

Flower Head Top

Spirit Lake
South of Armit on # 980
04-Aug-2005

Note that the key to the species in Budd's Flora requires "involucre WITHOUT foliaceous bracts".  In fact, some of the outer bracts ARE commonly foliaceous.  Flora of Alberta is correct in saying "bracts [are] slender, loose, scarcely imbricate, some of the outer commonly foliaceous, but narrow".  The rest of the answers to the keys are listed below.

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Puniceus:  Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this species.  
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plants perennial, with rootstocks or root crowns; NOT [plants annual, with fibrous roots]

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plants 50 cm tall, or more

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plants more or less rough pubescent; NOT [plants glabrous, except sometimes in the inflorescence]

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stem stout

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stem usually crimson-purple

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stem hispid

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basal and lower stem leaves sessile or subsessile; NOT [basal and lower stem leaves petioled or narrowed to a petiolar base] (Budd's Flora)

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stem leaves auriculate-clasping; NOT [stem leaves sessile or somewhat clasping] (Budd's Flora)

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leaves oblong to lanceolate

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leaves entire or distantly serrulate

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leaves NOT silvery silky; NOT [leaves silvery silky on both sides]

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heads few to many on a stem; NOT [heads solitary or 1-3 on a stem]

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involucre and peduncles NOT glandular

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involucral bracts generally herbaceous, at least above, usually NOT keeled; NOT [involucral bracts chartaceous, keeled, often crimson-edged]

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rays conspicuous

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rays mostly more than 15; NOT [rays 8-15, mostly 13]

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pappus single, NOT [pappus double, with the inner series of firm long bristles, the outer series of bristles about 1 mm long]

 

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Aster: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this genus. The answers do not match all species of Aster found in the Canadian prairies, but they do match this species.
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taproot absent

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juice watery; NOT milky

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plants usually with leafy stems; NOT [ plants low, stemless, tufted]

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plant is NOT as follows: [basal leaves mostly 1-6 cm long, linear to oblanceolate or spatulate, forming a dense rosette; plants with a well-developed taproot; and either densely caespitose, seldom more than 5 cm tall, the heads sessile among the leaves, or with stout, simple stems, 5-15 (25) cm tall, heads solitary, involucres 2-4 cm wide, bracts ciliate to pectinate or fimbriate, rays blue and achenes densely pubescent, obovate to triangular]

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leaves appearing BEFORE the flowers

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leaves NOT extending beyond the flowers

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leaves alternate or basal; NOT opposite

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basal leaves NOT cordate, NOT sagittate

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involucral bracts either subequal and the outer leafy, or more commonly evidently imbricate, with chartaceous base and evident green tip, sometimes chartaceous throughout; NOT [involucral bracts subequal or more or less imbricate, often green in part, but neither definitely leafy nor with chartaceous base and herbaceous green tip]

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bracts in several series; NOT [in 1 or 2 series]

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receptacle naked

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flower heads with florets both tubular and ray

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ligulate flowers pistillate or neuter; NOT perfect

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ray florets conspicuous

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ray florets 10-50; NOT 50 or more

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ray florets usually blue, purple, pink, or white; NOT yellow, NOT orange

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stamens united to form a tube around the pistil

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style branches ordinarily more than 0.5 mm long; NOT [style branches 0.5 mm long or less, or obsolete]

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style branches lanceolate or narrower, acute or acuminate; NOT [style branches lanceolate or broader, acute to obtuse, or obsolete]

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pappus of capillary bristles, at least in part; NOT [pappus of 1 or 2 short awns, a mere crown or none] 

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pappus composed of numerous hairs; NOT [composed of only a few hairs]