Annuals (sometimes perennials in S. frondosum); taprooted. Stems usually branched. Heads radiate or disciform. Ray (or pistillate) florets more numerous than disc florets, in 2–5+ series (corollas reduced to narrow laminae or to tubes). Disc corollas barely ampliate, lobes erect. Pappi longer than disc florets at flowering. x = 7.

Distribution

North America, nw Mexico, Eurasia.

Discussion

Species 3 (3 in the flora).

A. G. Jones (1989) segregated Brachyactis from Aster in a broad sense. Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses (J. C. Semple et al. 2002) do not support this relationship, species of sect. Conyzopsis clearly belonging in Symphyotrichum.

Selected References

Houle, F. 1988. Étude Biosystématique de la Section Conyzopsis du Genre Aster (Asteraceae). Ph.D. thesis. Université de Montréal.

Lower Taxa

Symphyotrichum ciliatum, Symphyotrichum frondosum, Symphyotrichum laurentianum