Doellingeria umbellata var. umbellata (Flat-topped white aster)

Doellingeria umbellata (Mill.) Nees var. umbellata

Flat-topped white aster, umbellate aster, parasol whitetop, tall flat-topped white aster

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Asterales	Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies
Family	Asteraceae	The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers
Genus	Doellingeria	For German botanist Ignatz Doellinger (1770–1841)
Species	umbellata	Refers to the arrangement of the flowers which arise in a head from a central point, i.e. bearing an umbel
var.	umbellata	Refers to the arrangement of the flowers which arise in a head from a central point, i.e. bearing an umbel

About plant names...

Flat-topped white asters are natives of North America.

Identification: These asters are named for the tendency of their flowerheads to form a flat-topped mass, but they may also be rounded. Plants are 20-79" (50-200 cm) high. Stems are green, sometimes purple or yellowish-brown. Leaves are 2-4" (6-11 cm) long by ½-⅞" (1.3-2.5 cm) wide. They are smooth when rubbed in one direction, rough in the other, elliptic or lanceolate-elliptic. They have prominent veins, a distinctive characteristic, and pale or whitish green undersides. Flowerheads are panicles 3-12" (7.6-30 cm) around. Individual flowers are about ½" (1.3 cm) across, with 5-12 white rays and 12-25 tiny florets in the central disc. The disc is yellow, aging to tan-colored.

See our aster comparison table here. Or check Arieh Tel’s well-researched and informative aster comparison site.

Online References:

Doellingeria umbellata var. umbellata at Illinois Wildflowers

Doellingeria umbellata var. umbellata on the Connecticut Botanical Society's Connecticut wildflowers site

Doellingeria umbellata var. umbellata on Ontario Wildflowers

Doellingeria umbellata var. umbellata at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Doellingeria umbellata var. umbellata on eFloras

9/27/2013 · Gordon and Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine
≈ 9 × 6" (22 × 15 cm)

8/24/2013 · Cranberry Meadow Pond Trail, Monadnock Conservancy, Peterborough, New Hampshire
≈ 10 × 7" (25 × 16 cm) ID is uncertain

8/14/2021 · Maquoit Bay Conservation Area, Brunswick, Maine
≈ 3 × 5" (8.4 × 12 cm)

9/7/2013 · Beech Hill, Dublin, New Hampshire
≈ 6 × 9" (15 × 23 cm) ID is uncertain

9/18/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine
≈ 10 × 12" (25 × 30 cm) ID is uncertain

9/20/2009 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine
≈ 15 × 10" (39 × 26 cm)

8/17/2020 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 12 × 8" (31 × 20 cm)

8/24/2013 · Cranberry Meadow Pond Trail, Monadnock Conservancy, Peterborough, New Hampshire
≈ 11 × 7" (28 × 18 cm) ID is uncertain

9/20/2009 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine
≈ 21 × 14" (52 × 34 cm)

8/14/2021 · Maquoit Bay Conservation Area, Brunswick, Maine
≈ 5 × 3" (12 × 8.4 cm)

9/27/2013 · Gordon and Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine
≈ 9 × 6" (22 × 15 cm)

8/19/2018 · Townsend Wildlife Management Area, Townsend, Massachusetts
≈ 7 × 10" (16 × 24 cm)

9/7/2013 · Beech Hill, Dublin, New Hampshire
≈ 10 × 8" (25 × 21 cm) ID is uncertain

Aster umbellatus

Aster umbellatus Mill.

Doellingeria umbellata var. umbellata description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 5 Oct 2021.

8/28/2020 · Jack’s and Litchfield Trails, Chase Reserve, Brunswick, Maine
≈ 13 × 17" (32 × 44 cm)

9/16/2016 · Bar Harbor Motel, Bar Harbor, Maine
≈ 14 × 16" (34 × 41 cm)

9/27/2013 · Gordon and Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine
≈ 9 × 6" (23 × 15 cm)

9/16/2016 · Bar Harbor Motel, Bar Harbor, Maine

9/18/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine
≈ 14 × 11" (34 × 26 cm) ID is uncertain

8/15/2015 · Grafton Notch State Park, Newry, Maine
≈ 8 × 7" (20 × 16 cm)

9/27/2013 · Gordon and Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine
≈ 4½ × 6" (11 × 14 cm)

8/24/2013 · Cranberry Meadow Pond Trail, Monadnock Conservancy, Peterborough, New Hampshire
≈ 8 × 7" (21 × 16 cm) ID is uncertain

8/27/2021 · Hackett and Minot Trails, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 12 × 18" (29 × 44 cm)

9/7/2013 · Beech Hill, Dublin, New Hampshire
≈ 8 × 5" (19 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain

8/17/2014 · Bald Mountain, Franconia Notch Area, White Mountains, New Hampshire
≈ 7 × 5" (17 × 12 cm)

8/17/2014 · Bald Mountain, Franconia Notch Area, White Mountains, New Hampshire
≈ 7 × 11" (18 × 28 cm)

8/19/2018 · Townsend Wildlife Management Area, Townsend, Massachusetts
≈ 7 × 4" (16 × 11 cm)

8/15/2015 · Grafton Notch State Park, Newry, Maine
≈ 6 × 9" (15 × 22 cm)

9/16/2016 · Bar Harbor Motel, Bar Harbor, Maine
≈ 14 × 21" (34 × 52 cm)

Range:

About this map...