Doellingeria

whitetops
tall flat-topped asters
Doellingeria umbellata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Astereae
Genus: Doellingeria
Nees
Synonyms[1]
  • Aster subg. Doellingeria (Nees) A.Gray
  • Triplopappus Torr. & A.Gray
  • Aster sect. Triplopappus (Torr. & A.Gray) A.G.Jones
  • Aster sect. Doellingeria (Nees) Kitam.

Doellingeria is a genus of flowering plants in the aster family.[2] It contains species formerly included in Aster but now considered to be a distinct genus. They are known commonly as tall flat-topped asters[3] or whitetops.[4]

There is still some disagreement as to which species should be included in Doellingeria. Some authorities include up to 10[5] or 11 species in Doellingeria, but phylogenetic analyses suggest that any Asian plants in the genus should be classified in Aster, making Doellengeria an endemic North American genus.[6] A fourth is now treated as Oclemena reticulata.[3]

Doellingeria as it is now defined is a genus of perennial herbs growing from rhizomes or woody bases. The unbranched stems grow erect and the tallest can reach two meters in height. The alternately arranged leaves have smooth edges and are sometimes woolly or rough-haired. The flower heads are a few millimeters long and contain 2 to 10 white ray florets, sometimes more. The disc florets are light yellow and the lobes at the tips may spread or curl. The fruit is a cypsela with a pappus of three rings of white or tan bristles and an outer ring of scales.[3]

Species accepted by Global Compositae Checklist[1][7]
  1. Doellingeria dimorphophylla (Franch. & Sav.) G.L.Nesom - Japan
  2. Doellingeria infirma (Michx.) Greene eastern USA (from Alabama to Massachusetts)
  3. Doellingeria komonoensis (Makino) G.L.Nesom - Japan
  4. Doellingeria rugulosa (Maxim.) G.L.Nesom - Japan
  5. Doellingeria scabra (Thunb.) Nees - China, Japan, Korea, Russia (Irkutsk, Amur, Khabarovsk, Primorye)
  6. Doellingeria sekimotoi (Makino) G.L.Nesom - Japan
  7. Doellingeria sericocarpoides Small - southeastern USA (Texas to Maryland; a few populations in New York and New Jersey)
  8. Doellingeria sohayakiensis (Koidz.) G.L.Nesom - Japan
  9. Doellingeria umbellata (Mill.) Nees - USA (Florida to Maine + North Dakota); Canada (Alberta to Newfoundland)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Flann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist search for Doellingeria
  2. ↑ Greuter, W. (2006+). Doellingeria. In: Greuter, W. & E. von Raab-Straube. (eds.). Compositae. Euro+Med Plantbase.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Doellingeria. Flora of North America.
  4. ↑ Doellingeria. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
  5. ↑ Doellingeria. The Plant List.
  6. ↑ Li, W. P., et al. (2012). Phylogenetic relationships and generic delimitation of Eurasian Aster (Asteraceae: Astereae) inferred from ITS, ETS and trnL-F sequence data. Annals of Botany 109(7), 1341-57.
  7. ↑ Biota of North America Program 2013 county distribution maps