Symphyotrichum racemosum (Small white aster)

Symphyotrichum racemosum (Elliott) G.L. Nesom

Small white aster, small-flowered 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	Symphyotrichum	From Greek symphysis, “borne together or growing together, coalescing,” and trichinos, “hair, a single hair”
Species	racemosum	With flowers in racemes

About plant names...

Small white aster is native to eastern North America.

Identification: Plants are 12-35" (30-90 cm) tall. Leaves are alternate, sometimes toothed, unlobed, ⅛-1½" (5-40 mm) × ⅛-½" (5-15 mm) in size. Numerous flowers are clustered along long stems in racemes. The central disk is yellowish, aging to a pinkish color. Ray flowers are white to pink, with 16-20 rays, rarely as few as 12. Flowers are about ½" (1.3 cm) across, and they tend to cluster along one side of each branch. 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:

Symphyotrichum racemosum at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Symphyotrichum racemosum on gobotany.newenglandwild.org

Symphyotrichum racemosum on vaplantatlas.org

Symphyotrichum racemosum on eFloras

References:

Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 288

9/1/2012 · Bemis Rd Conservation Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 6" (15 × 14 cm) ID is uncertain

8/25/2013 · Casalis State Forest, Elm Hill Rd, Peterborough, New Hampshire
≈ 8 × 5" (20 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain

9/24/2010 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 4 × 6" (10 × 15 cm) ID is uncertain

9/24/2010 · Nissitissit River Wildlife Management Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 4½" (15 × 11 cm) ID is uncertain

Aster brachypholis Small nom. inq.

Aster fragilis auct. non Willd. nom. inq.

Aster fragilis Willd. var. brachypholis (Small) A.G. Jones nom. inq.

Aster fragilis Willd. var. subdumosus (Wiegand) A.G. Jones nom. inq.

Aster racemosus Elliott

Aster vimineus auct. non Lam. nom. inq.

Aster vimineus Lam. var. subdumosus Wiegand nom. inq.

Symphyotrichum racemosum (Elliott) G.L. Nesom var. subdumosum (Wiegand) G.L. Nesom nom. inq.

Aster racemosus Elliott

Symphyotrichum racemosum (Elliott) G.L. Nesom var. subdumosum (Wiegand) G.L. Nesom nom. inq.

Aster racemosus Elliot

Symphyotrichum racemosum (Elliot) G.L. Nesom var. subdumosum (Wiegand) G.L. Nesom nom. inq.

Symphyotrichum racemosum description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

8/25/2013 · Casalis State Forest, Elm Hill Rd, Peterborough, New Hampshire
≈ 4½ × 7" (11 × 17 cm) ID is uncertain

8/25/2013 · Casalis State Forest, Elm Hill Rd, Peterborough, New Hampshire
≈ 5 × 7" (12 × 16 cm) ID is uncertain

9/9/2013 · J. Harry Rich Forest, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 4" (14 × 10 cm)

9/4/2013 · Amos Kendall Conservation Area, Dunstable, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 6" (14 × 14 cm)

9/4/2013 · Amos Kendall Conservation Area, Dunstable, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 5" (16 × 13 cm)

8/25/2013 · Casalis State Forest, Elm Hill Rd, Peterborough, New Hampshire
≈ 4½ × 4" (11 × 10 cm) ID is uncertain

9/1/2012 · Bemis Rd Conservation Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 4½ × 4" (11 × 10 cm) ID is uncertain

Range:

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