Symphyotrichum lanceolatum (Panicled aster)

Symphyotrichum lanceolatum (Willd.) G.L. Nesom

Panicled aster, Eastern lined aster, tall white aster, lance-leaf aster, narrow-leaf michaelmas daisy, white-panicle aster

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Asterales	Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies
Family	Asteraceae	The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers
Genus	Symphyotrichum	From Greek symphysis, “borne together or growing together, coalescing,” and trichinos, “hair, a single hair”
Species	lanceolatum	“Lance-shaped,” for the leaves

About plant names...

Panicled aster is a widespread North American native.

Identification: Plants are 12-59" (30-150 cm) in height, rarely up to 6½' (2 m). They consist of a single main stem that branches in the flowering region. The stem may be hairy or hairless. Leaves are ⅜-3" (1-8 cm) × ⅛-¾" (5-20 mm), with serrated or scalloped edges, oblanceolate or lanceolate. Dead leaves tend to curl a lot. Flowerheads are panicles that may be heavily branched and densely or quite sparsely flowered. Flowers are white to pinkish or pale blue-violet, ⅜-¾" (1-2 cm) across, with 16-50 rays and usually 20-40 tiny disc florets. Central disks are yellow, aging to purple. Maybe it is a coincidence, but the petals (rays) seem less orderly than with many asters.

See our aster comparison table here. Or check Arieh Tel’s well-researched and informative aster comparison site.

Online References:

Symphyotrichum lanceolatum on Ontario Wildflowers

Symphyotrichum lanceolatum on gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org

Symphyotrichum lanceolatum on the Connecticut Botanical Society's Connecticut wildflowers site

Symphyotrichum lanceolatum on eFloras

References:

Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 22

9/27/2013 · Gordon and Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine
≈ 5 × 8" (12 × 19 cm) ID is uncertain

Symphyotrichum lanceolatum description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

That’s a monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). · 10/4/2008 · Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Plum Island, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 8" (16 × 20 cm) ID is uncertain

9/27/2013 · Gordon and Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine
≈ 8 × 5" (19 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain

9/27/2013 · Gordon and Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine
≈ 5 × 5" (13 × 12 cm) ID is uncertain

Range:

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