Symphyotrichum divaricatum (Nutt.) Nesom

Locations ofSymphyotrichum divaricatum (Nutt.) Nesom in Virginia

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Detail

Family
Asteraceae
Botanical Name
Symphyotrichum divaricatum (Nutt.) Nesom
Common Name
Southern Annual Salt-marsh Aster
Synonym(s)
Symphyotrichum subulatum (Michx.) G.L. Nesom var. parviflorum (Nees) S.D. Sundberg; Aster subulatus Michx. var. ligulatus Shinners
Flora of Virginia Name/Status
Symphyotrichum divaricatum (Nuttall) Nesom
Comments
Reported as new to Virginia by Nesom in Castanea 65:80 (2000) based on a collection from Ft. Eustis in 1973. More recently, additional populations have been found in Mecklenburg (1996), York (2016), and Hanover (2017) counties. Cronquist considers this one of 3 varieties of Aster subulatus having broader and longer ligules, a pappus straighter at maturity, and not being confined to maritime habitats. The justification for species status is given by Nesom in Sida 21:2125-2140 (2005).
Habitat
Disturbed fields, clearings, and bottomlands. Rare, Coastal Plain and Piedmont; known only from the City of Newport News, Hanover County, Mecklenburg County, and York County. The Newport News (Ft. Eustis) specimen came from a mowed open field in front of skeet range. The Mecklenburg record came from an occasionally flooded, alluvial bottom managed for game. In York County, the species is locally abundant in a weedy powerline right-of-way. In Hanover County, populations are locally abundant in the highway ROW of Interstate 295.
Native Status
Introduced

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