Baby-white aster
Also known as: Rose heath aster, White aster
Chaetopappa ericoides (Torr.) G.L. Nesom
Images
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Morphology
- Stem
- Erect or spreading, slender, numerous, loosely clustered, branched, stiff-hairy.
- Leaves
- Alternate, simple, sessile, spatulate below to linear above, up to 3/5 inch long, less than 1/10 inch wide, ascending or pressed against stem, thick; margins entire, often fringed with hairs; uppermost leaves bract-like.
- Inflorescence
- Heads, solitary, terminal.
- Flower
- Heads 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide; bracts lanceolate, in 4-7 series, overlapping; ray florets 12-24, less than 1/4 inch long, white, drying pale rose; tips sometimes curled under; disk florets several, yellow.
- Fruit
- Achenes, small, flattened, hairy, tipped with numerous rough, white, hair-like bristles, enclosing small seed.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Dry open, sandy or gravelly sites and rocky, eroded hillsides.
- Distribution
- West half of Kansas.
Practical Information
- Uses
- Native Americans in the Southwest used white aster medicinally to treat snakebites, nose ailments, toothaches, rheumatism, and swellings.
Additional Notes
Comments
White aster forms low patches from creeping roots.
Synonyms
Alternative scientific names that have been used for this plant.
Scientific Name: Leucelene ericoides
Full Citation: Leucelene ericoides Greene
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Asteraceae - Sunflower Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 2 - 8 inches
- Last Updated
- 2007-05-03
Color Groups
White, Green & Greenish White Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: May, June, July