NameThatPlant.net: Symphyotrichum retroflexum

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Campanulids: Asterales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Symphyotrichum retroflexum FAMILY Asteraceae Go to FSUS key

Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.

Some plants may look similar to S. prenanthoides, but that plant has leaf bases that clasp the stem (vs. not). Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Symphyotrichum retroflexum FAMILY Asteraceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-47-024:

Aster curtisii FAMILY Asteraceae

COMMON NAME:
Curtis's Aster, Rigid Whitetop Aster

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Symphyotrichum retroflexum FAMILY Asteraceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Symphyotrichum retroflexum FAMILY Asteraceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-47-024:
Aster curtisii FAMILY Asteraceae

152

Forb
Perennial

Habitat: Moist forests, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Common in Mountains (rare in Piedmont)

CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate (basal leaves often absent or withered at flowering)

FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Rays: Blue/ Violet
Disc: Whitish becoming purplish
Flower heads with 13-30 ray flowers
Inferior ovary
Disc flowers bisexual & fertile/ Ray flowers pistillate & fertile

Flower heads in loose many-headed panicles

FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Achene

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!

If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".

Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".