Aster conspicuus

           Showy Aster

Flower Heads in Ground

Meadow Lake Provincial Park
03-Aug-2008

This species is now known as Eurybia conspicua.  However, I am using the old name because that is what the keys in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta are based on.

This specimen was discovered by my friends Glen and Maureen Lee.

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Conspicuus: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora (BF)  and Flora of Alberta (FOA) 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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lower leaves sessile, somewhat clasping; NOT [lower leaves petioled]

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lower leaves coarsely toothed to subentire; NOT [lower leaves serrate] (BF)

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leaves coarsely serrate; NOT [leaves distantly serrulate or sometimes entire] (FOA)

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leaves mostly 3-5 cm wide (sometimes to 10 cm); NOT [leaves mostly 1-2 cm wide or smaller]

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leaves to 20 cm long; NOT [smaller]

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involucre and usually the peduncles glandular

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involucral bracts generally herbaceous, at least above; NOT [involucral bracts chartaceous]

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involucral bracts usually NOT keeled

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rays conspicuous; NOT [rays inconspicuous or absent]

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

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

 

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Aster: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora (BF) and Flora of Alberta (FOA) leading to this genus.
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NOT [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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taproot absent

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juice watery; NOT [juice milky]

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leaves appearing before the flowers; NOT [leaves appearing after the flowers]

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

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leaves NOT extending beyond the flowers

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leaves alternate or basal; NOT [leaves 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 leaf nor with chartaceous base and herbaceous green tip] (FOA)

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bracts in several series; NOT [bracts in 1 or 2 series] (BF)

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receptacle naked

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flower heads with florets both tubular and ray

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ray florets conspicuous

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ray florets 10-50; NOT [ray florets 50 or more]

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ray florets violet to blue; NOT [ray florets yellow or orange]

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ligulate flowers pistillate or neuter; NOT [ligulate flowers perfect]

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pappus composed of numerous hairs; NOT [pappus absent or composed of a few hairs], NOT [pappus of 1 or 2 short awns, a mere crown, or none]

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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; NOT [style branches lanceolate or broader]

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style branches acute or acuminate; NOT [style branches acute to obtuse]