Symphyotrichum depauperatum

Symphyotrichum depauperatum
Two white composite flowers with yellow centers and several buds along a green stalk. Leaves on the stalk are very tiny.
S. depauperatum from the serpentine grassland demonstration area in Nottingham County Park.

Imperiled  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Compositae
Tribe: Astereae
Genus: Symphyotrichum
Species: S. depauperatum
Binomial name
Symphyotrichum depauperatum
(Fernald) G.L.Nesom 1995
Synonyms[2][3]
  • Aster ericoides var. depauperatus Porter 1894
  • Aster depauperatus Fernald 1908
  • Aster ericoides var. pusillus A. Gray 1884
  • Aster parviceps var. pusillus (A. Gray) Fernald 1909

Symphyotrichum depauperatum, also known as the serpentine aster,[4] is a rare species of aster adapted to serpentine barrens, an ecosystem with a high concentration of toxic metals in the soil.[5]

Symphyotrichum depauperatum is a perennial herb up to 50 cm (20 inches) tall, with 1-3 stems. Leaves are narrow, generally 2-4 cm (0.8-1.6 inches) long. The plant produces numerous flower heads in branched arrays, each head with 7–14 white or pink ray flowers surrounding 7–17 yellow disc flowers.[5]

Distribution

Symphyotrichum depauperatum grows in 20 of the 26 serpentine barrens in the east-central United States (Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina),[6] and has been called a "flagship" species of this unique ecosystem. It was previously thought to be endemic to these barrens, but it was recently confirmed to also occur in a disjoint population on diabase glades in North Carolina.[7]

Conservation

Symphyotrichum depauperatum is classified by the state of Pennsylvania as a threatened species because its range is restricted to a few limited areas, and the majority of its populations occur on sites threatened by quarrying, housing and industrial development.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Symphyotrichum depauperatum". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
  2. ↑ The Plant List, Symphyotrichum depauperatum (Fernald) G.L.Nesom
  3. ↑ Tropicos, Aster depauperatus Fernald
  4. ↑ "Symphyotrichum depauperatum". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  5. 1 2 Flora of North America, Symphyotrichum depauperatum (Fernald) G. L. Nesom, 1995. Starved or serpentine aster
  6. ↑ Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
  7. ↑ Danny J. Gustafson, Roger Earl Latham, "Is the serpentine aster, Symphyotrichum depauperatum (Fern.) Nesom, a valid species and actually endemic to eastern serpentine barrens?", Biodiversity and Conservation, Vol. 14, No. 6 (Jun 2005).
  8. ↑ Serpentine Aster - Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Wildlife Resource Conservation Fund Profile, Retrieved Sep. 19, 2009.


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