ILLINOIS PLANT INFORMATION NETWORK
 
 ILPIN INFORMATION ON    Aster firmus
 
 
 CLASS:    DICOTYLEDENAE
 ORDER:    ASTERALES
 FAMILY:   ASTERACEAE
 SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Aster firmus
 AUTHORITY:  Nees
 
 COMMON NAMES:
    GLOSSY-LEAF ASTER
    SWAMP ASTER
 
 SYNONOMY:
     Aster lucidulus (Gray) Wieg.
     Aster puniceus L. var. lucidulus Gray
 
 PLANTS CODE: ASPU5
 
 NATURAL COMMUNITIES:
     FOREST
       THICKETS
     WETLAND
       FEN
       SEDGE MEADOW
       SEEP & SPRING
         TYPICAL SEEP
         CALCAREOUS SEEP
       LISTED
         CHARACTERISTIC
 
 SAF FOREST COVER TYPE:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 NATURAL DIVISION:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 COUNTIES:
   COLES           COOK            DEWITT          DUPAGE          FAYETTE
   FULTON          GRUNDY          HENDERSON       KANE            KANKAKEE
   KENDALL         LAKE            MCHENRY         MENARD          OGLE
   STARK           TAZEWELL        VERMILION       WILL            WINNEBAGO
   WOODFORD
 
 GROWTH FORM:  Dicot-herb
 
 TAXONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS:
    ROOTS:  Adventitious   (rhizomes)
    LEAF ARRANGEMENT:   Alternate
    LEAF TYPE:   Simple
    LEAF MARGIN:   Serrate
    LEAF VENATION:  Pinnate
    LEAF SHAPE:     Oblong   Lanceolate
    INFLORESCENCE:   Head
    FLOWER STRUCTURE:   Complete   Regular   Irregular
    FLOWER COLOR:   Blue   Violet   White
    FLOWER PLACEMENT:  Epigynous
    FRUIT:   Achene
 
 DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC COMMENTS:
     A handsome aster with large heads of blue-purple rays and yellow disks.
     A handsome aster with large heads of blue-purple rays and yellow disks.
     Rhizomes.  Stems puberulent in  lines above.
     Similar to typical Aster punicus, but becoming colonial by long creeping
 
 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:
     ORIGIN:   Native
 
 POPULATION DYNAMICS:
     STATE STATUS: Not listed
     FEDERAL STATUS: Not listed
     COMMONNESS:  Occasional
     ENDEMIC:   NOT-ENDEMIC
 
 BIOLOGIC:
     HABIT:   Forb
     LIFE CYCLE:   Perennial
     REPRODUCTION:   Sexual   Vegetative
     FLOWERING PERIOD:
         MONTH BEGINNING-      8         MONTH END-     10
     TROPHIC STATUS:  Autotrophic
     SEX:      Perfect     Unisexual   -monoecious
 
 BIOLOGIC COMMENTS:
     Disk florets perfect and fertile, ray florets pistillate and fertile.
 
 ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS:
     GROWTH OF SPECIES IN VARIOUS CONDITIONS:
          GRAVEL         No data entered    SAND           No data entered
          SANDY LOAM     No data entered    LOAM           No data entered
          CLAY LOAM      No data entered    CLAY           No data entered
          DENSE CLAY     No data entered    ORGANIC SOIL   Good
          NEUTRAL pH     No data entered    ACIDIC SOIL    No data entered
          EXTREMELY ACID No data entered    SALINE SOIL    No data entered
          SODIC SOIL     No data entered    SODIC-SALINE   No data entered
          ROCKY OUTCROPS No data entered    GENTLE SLOPES  Good
          MODERATE SLOPE No data entered    STEEP SLOPES   No data entered
     HABITAT:   Wet
 
 FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:
     MAJOR POLLINATION AGENT:   INSECT
 
 HUMAN RELATIONSHIP DATA:
     SHOWY FLOWERS:  YES      AMOUNT:  High
 
 
 WILDLIFE AND LIVESTOCK INFORMATION:   No data entered
 
 LIVESTOCK COMMENTS:
     May facultatively absorb selenium.
 
 REVEGETATION PLANTINGS:    No data entered
 
 
 REFERENCES:
Mohlenbrock, R. H., ed.  1975.  Guide to the vascular flora of Illinois.
     Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.  494 pp.
Steyermark, J. A.  1963.  Flora of Missouri.  Iowa State University Press, Ames.
     1725 pp.
Swink, F., and G. S. Wilhelm.  1979.  Plants of the Chicago region.  Third ed.
     The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois.  922 pp.
White, J., and M. H. Madany.  1978.  Classification of natural communities in
     Illinois.  Pages 309-405 in J. White, ed., Illinois natural areas
     inventory technical report.  Vol. 1.  Survey methods and results.
     Illinois Natural Areas Inventory, Urbana.
Gleason, H. A.  1952.  The new Britton and Brown illustrated flora of the
     northeastern United States and adjacent Canada.  3 vols.  The New York
     Botanical Garden, New York.
Kingsbury, J. M.  1964.  Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada.
     Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.  626 pp.
 
 END OF DATA FOR SPECIES  Aster firmus
 
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 ILPIN was developed by Louis Iverson*, with data compiled by David Ketzner and Jeanne Karnes
 Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL 61820
     *currently employed by USDA Forest Service, 359 Main Rd., Delaware, OH 43015