Soft golden-aster

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Soft golden-aster leaves

Soft golden-aster

Soft golden-aster

Soft golden-aster

Soft golden-aster inflorescence

Soft golden-aster

Soft golden-aster

Morphology

Stem

Erect, usually simple, sparsely to densely pilose.

Leaves

Basal and cauline, alternate, basal withering early; petiole present on basal, absent on cauline; basal blade oblanceolate, 2 to 4 inches long, .4 to 1 inch wide, base tapered, margins entire to dentate distally with teeth not bristle-tipped, tip acute, surfaces pilose; cauline linear-elliptic, base truncate or clasping, margins obscurely toothed to entire.

Inflorescence

Heads radiate, solitary or in panicle-like arrays.

Flower

Involucres bell-shaped, .25 to .35 inch tall, .25 to .7 inch wide. Phyllaries 25-60 in 3-4 series, linear, erect. Receptacles flat to slightly convex. Ray florets 11-24, pistillate, fertile; corolla yellow, ligule .25 to .5 inch. Disk florets 25-60, bisexual, fertile; corolla yellow, cylindric, .18 to .25 inch, lobes 5.

Fruit

Achenes tan to brown, obovoid, .06 to .09 inch, compressed or angular, pilose; pappus of 20-35 tan or brown bristles in 2(-3) series, outer .02 to .05 inch smooth scales or awns grading into .2 to .25 inch barbellate bristles.

Ecology

Habitat

Sandstone glades, sandy oak-hickory and post oak-black jack oak woodlands, sandy flood plains and pastures.

Distribution

South 1/2 of east 1/4 of Kansas

Additional Notes

Synonyms

Alternative scientific names that have been used for this plant.