Ionactis linariifolius (Flax-Leaved Aster)

Ionactis linariifolius

Ionactis linariifolius (L.) Greene

Aster linariifolius L.

Aster linariifolius L. var. victorinii Fernald

Flax-Leaved Aster, Stiff Aster, Flax-leaved 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	Ionactis	From two Greek words meaning “violet rays”
Species	linariifolius	With linear leaves, like Linaria

About plant names...

Flax-leaved or stiff aster is a North American native, named for its distinctive needle-like leaves.

Identification: Plants are 4-20" (10-50 cm) tall, with one or multiple mostly unbranched stems emerging directly from the ground, though branching may occur in the flowering portion. Stems vary from light green to tan to dark reddish brown. Plants may be upright or listing just above the ground. The alternate leaves are ¾-1½" (1.9-3.8 cm) × ⅛" (3.2 mm), shiny, sessile, linear, and pointed, like spruce needles. They lack teeth, but leaf edges are rough. Flowers may be solitary or in panicles. Flowers are ½-1" (1.3-2.5 cm) across, with 10-20 rays that are lavender-colored, and yellow central disks that become red-brown with age. They appear from August to October.

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

Online References:

Ionactis linariifolius at Illinois Wildflowers

Ionactis linariifolius at the University of Wisconsin's Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium

Ionactis linariifolius on Delaware Wildflowers

Ionactis linariifolius at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Ionactis linariifolius on the Connecticut Botanical Society's Connecticut wildflowers site

Ionactis linariifolius on hawthornhillwildflowers.blogspot.com

References:

Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 22