Aster (flower)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

iAster
Aster alpinus
Aster alpinus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Astereae
Genus: Aster
L.
Species

Many, see text.

The genus Aster (syn. Diplopappus Cass.)includes some 600 species of widely distributed flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Aster comes from the Greek word for "star", and refers to the shape of the flower head. Many species and a variety of hybrids and varieties are now popular as garden plants because of their showy flower heads. Aster species are used as food plants by the larvae of a number of Lepidoptera species - see list of Lepidoptera which feed on Aster. Asters can grow in all hardiness zones. The genus Aster is now generally restricted to the Old World species, with Aster amellus being the type species of the genus (and of the family Asteraceae). The New World species have now been reclassified in the genera Almutaster, Canadanthus, Doellingeria, Eucephalus, Eurybia, Ionactis, Oligoneuron, Oreostemma, Sericocarpus and Symphyotrichum (see : List of Aster synonyms), but are still widely referred to as "Asters" in the horticultural trades.

In the UK there are only two native members of the genus of which one, Goldilocks is very rare, the other being the Sea aster, Aster tripolium

Some common species are:

  • Aster alpinus
  • Aster amellus ('European Michaelmas Daisy' or 'Italian Aster')
  • Aster cordifolius ('Blue Wood Aster')
  • Aster divaricatus ('White Wood Aster')
  • Aster ericoides ('Heath Aster')
  • Aster laevis
  • Aster lateriflorus ('Lady in Black')
  • Aster novae-angliae ('New England Aster')
  • Aster novi-belgii ('New York Aster')
  • Aster pilosus ('Frost Aster')
  • Aster pringlei
  • Aster scaber
  • Aster sibericus
  • Aster tataricus
  • Aster tongolensis
  • Aster tripolium ('Sea Aster')

The China aster is in a related genus, Callistephus.

New York Aster (Aster novi-belgii)

Aster tongolensis

Heath aster (Aster ericoides)

Asters come in many different colors and varieties
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