ILLINOIS PLANT INFORMATION NETWORK
 
 ILPIN INFORMATION ON    Aster laevis
 
 
 CLASS:    DICOTYLEDENAE
 ORDER:    ASTERALES
 FAMILY:   ASTERACEAE
 SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Aster laevis
 AUTHORITY:  L.
 
 COMMON NAMES:
    SMOOTH ASTER
    SMOOTH BLUE ASTER
 
 SYNONOMY:   None
 
 PLANTS CODE: ASLA5
 
 NATURAL COMMUNITIES:
     FOREST
       UPLAND FOREST
         MESIC
       THICKETS
     PRAIRIE
       TYPICAL PRAIRIE
         MESIC
       HILL PRAIRIE
         LOESS
     SAVANNA
     PRIMARY
       GLADE
         LIMESTONE
     CULTURAL
       DEVELOPED LAND
 
 
 SAF FOREST COVER TYPE:
     CENTRAL
        Upland oak
           White/Black/Northern Red-  Oak
 
 NATURAL DIVISION:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 COUNTIES:
   ALEXANDER       BOONE           BUREAU          CARROLL         CHAMPAIGN
   CHRISTIAN       CLARK           COLES           COOK            DEKALB
   DUPAGE          FAYETTE         GRUNDY          HANCOCK         HENDERSON
   HENRY           IROQUOIS        JACKSON         JO DAVIESS      JOHNSON
   KANE            KANKAKEE        KENDALL         KNOX            LAKE
   LASALLE         LEE             LIVINGSTON      LOGAN           MCDONOUGH
   MCHENRY         MCLEAN          MACON           MACOUPIN        MASON
   MENARD          MONROE          OGLE            PEORIA          PIATT
   POPE            RANDOLPH        RICHLAND        ST. CLAIR       SANGAMON
   SHELBY          STARK           STEPHENSON      TAZEWELL        UNION
   VERMILION       WABASH          WHITESIDE       WILL            WILLIAMSON
   WINNEBAGO       WOODFORD
 
 GROWTH FORM:  Dicot-herb
 
 TAXONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS:
    ROOTS:  Adventitious   (rhizomes)
    LEAF ARRANGEMENT:   Alternate
    LEAF TYPE:   Simple
    LEAF MARGIN:   Entire   Serrate
    LEAF VENATION:  Pinnate
    LEAF SHAPE:     Oblong   Lanceolate   Ovate
    INFLORESCENCE:   Head
    FLOWER STRUCTURE:   Complete   Incomplete   Regular   Irregular
    FLOWER COLOR:   Blue   Violet   White
    FLOWER PLACEMENT:  Epigynous
    FRUIT:   Achene
 
 DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC COMMENTS:
     Species has silvery-blue or glaucous foliage and stems contrasting
     with numerous heads of blue and purple rays; showy white-flowered
     forms are rare.
 
 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:
     ORIGIN:   Native
 
 POPULATION DYNAMICS:
     STATE STATUS: Not listed
     FEDERAL STATUS: Not listed
     COMMONNESS:  Common
     ENDEMIC:   NOT-ENDEMIC
 
 BIOLOGIC:
     HABIT:   Forb
     LIFE CYCLE:   Perennial
     REPRODUCTION:   Sexual
     FLOWERING PERIOD:
         MONTH BEGINNING-      8         MONTH END-     10
     TROPHIC STATUS:  Autotrophic
     SEX:      Perfect     Unisexual   -monoecious
 
 BIOLOGIC COMMENTS:
     Disk florets are perfect and fertile; ray florets are pistillate and fertile.
     Branched caudex may repalce short, stout rhizome; creeping red
     rhizomes may be present.
 
 ECODISTRIBUTION COMMENTS:
     Species is distributed in rocky, open woods, roadside banks.
     In northern Illinois, most typically it is found in mesic prairie;
     prairie remnants, shaded clay bank in open community; moist
     sandy soil in woods.
 
 ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS:   No data entered
 
 FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:
     MAJOR POLLINATION AGENT:   INSECT
 
 HUMAN RELATIONSHIP DATA:
     SHOWY FLOWERS:  YES      AMOUNT:  High
 
 
 HUMAN FACTOR COMMENTS:
     Plant is source of many cultivated races of garden asters.
 
 WILDLIFE AND LIVESTOCK INFORMATION:
     FOOD VALUE:
         DEER VALUE:   -   Leaves
         UPLAND GAME VALUE:  Unknown
         WATERFOWL VALUE:  Unknown
         SMALL NON-GAME BIRD VALUE:  Unknown
         SMALL MAMMAL VALUE:  Unknown
         AQUATIC MAMMAL VALUE:  Unknown
         FISH VALUE:  Unknown
     COVER VALUE:  No data entered
 
     WILDLIFE COMMENTS:
         Basal leaves are a source of winter food.
 
 
 LIVESTOCK PALATABILITY DATA:  No data entered
 
 LIVESTOCK COMMENTS:
     Species mayabe a facultative selenium absorber.
 
 REVEGETATION PLANTINGS:
     WEEDINESS:   Non-weedy
 
 
 
 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.
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 laevis
 
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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