OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Campanulids: Asterales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Ionactis linariifolia   FAMILY Asteraceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH (ORTHOGRAPHIC VARIANT) PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Ionactis linariifolius   FAMILY Asteraceae

INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Ionactis linariifolia

SYNONYMOUS WITH A new species of Ionactis (Asteraceae: Astereae) from the east Gulf Coastal Plain (Nesom, 2020)

Ionactis linariifolia

INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 19-20-21 (2006)

Ionactis linariifolia

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-47-031:

Aster linariifolius   FAMILY Asteraceae

INCLUDED WITHIN & ORTHOGRAPHIC VARIANT Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Ionactis linariifolius

 

COMMON NAME:
Stiffleaf Aster, Flaxleaf Aster, Spruce Aster


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Ionactis linariifolia, Stiffleaf Aster, Flaxleaf Aster, Spruce Aster

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_ioli2_001_lvd

        

image of Ionactis linariifolia, Stiffleaf Aster, Flaxleaf Aster, Spruce Aster

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_ionactis_linariifolia

June        

Occurs in dry open woods, per All About South Carolina Wildflowers (Midgley, 1999).

image of Ionactis linariifolia, Stiffleaf Aster, Flaxleaf Aster, Spruce Aster

JK Marlow    jkm071021_033b

October    Oconee County    SC

Thick needle-like leaves have only one prominent vein, per All About South Carolina Wildflowers (Midgley, 1999).

image of Ionactis linariifolia, Stiffleaf Aster, Flaxleaf Aster, Spruce Aster

JK Marlow    jkm161001_139

October    Chesterfield County    SC

Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge

Bracts around the head are whitish with a green midrib or all green, appressed, rough-margined, per Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE involucral bracts of North American asters

image of Ionactis linariifolia, Stiffleaf Aster, Flaxleaf Aster, Spruce Aster

JK Marlow    jkm161001_141

September    Chesterfield County    SC

Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge

image of Ionactis linariifolia, Stiffleaf Aster, Flaxleaf Aster, Spruce Aster

JK Marlow    jkm231024_6217

October    Oconee County    SC

Sumter National Forest: Andrew Pickens Ranger District

image of Ionactis linariifolia, Stiffleaf Aster, Flaxleaf Aster, Spruce Aster

JK Marlow    jkm231024_6218

October    Oconee County    SC

Sumter National Forest: Andrew Pickens Ranger District

image of Ionactis linariifolia, Stiffleaf Aster, Flaxleaf Aster, Spruce Aster

JK Marlow    jkm231024_6220

October    Oconee County    SC

Sumter National Forest: Andrew Pickens Ranger District

Leaves stiff, linear, entire, with a single prominent vein, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).

image of Ionactis linariifolia, Stiffleaf Aster, Flaxleaf Aster, Spruce Aster

JK Marlow    jkm231024_6222

October    Oconee County    SC

Sumter National Forest: Andrew Pickens Ranger District

Ray flowers 7-15, lilac-blue to violet-blue, 1-2cm long, disc flowers bright yellow, per Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011).

image of Ionactis linariifolia, Stiffleaf Aster, Flaxleaf Aster, Spruce Aster

JK Marlow    jkm231024_6223

October    Oconee County    SC

Sumter National Forest: Andrew Pickens Ranger District

Although common and often passed by, it is one of our most beautiful asters, per Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011).

image of Ionactis linariifolia, Stiffleaf Aster, Flaxleaf Aster, Spruce Aster

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_i_linariifolia_3

October        

image of Ionactis linariifolia, Stiffleaf Aster, Flaxleaf Aster, Spruce Aster

Will Stuart    wil_4059981702_7e452339b4

October    Chesterfield County    SC

Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge

Most of the inflorescences appear reflexed. — Will Stuart

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Ionactis linariifolia   FAMILY Asteraceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH (ORTHOGRAPHIC VARIANT) PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Ionactis linariifolius   FAMILY Asteraceae

INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Ionactis linariifolia

SYNONYMOUS WITH A new species of Ionactis (Asteraceae: Astereae) from the east Gulf Coastal Plain (Nesom, 2020)
Ionactis linariifolia

INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 19-20-21
Ionactis linariifolia

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-47-031:
Aster linariifolius   FAMILY Asteraceae

INCLUDED WITHIN & ORTHOGRAPHIC VARIANT Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Ionactis linariifolius

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

158

Forb
Perennial

Habitat: Dry pine savannas, longleaf pine sandhills, pine flatwoods, prairie-like openings, glades, and barrens, high elevation rock outcrops and glades, to at least 1450 m, dry roadbanks, woodland edges, rocky woodlands, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Common (uncommon in GA Mountains & GA Coastal Plain)

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)

LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate

FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Rays: Blue/ Violet
Disc: Yellow
Inferior ovary
Disc flowers bisexual & fertile/ Ray flowers pistillate & fertile

Flower heads in loose corymbs or sometimes solitary

FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Black
Achene

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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