ILLINOIS PLANT INFORMATION NETWORK
 
 ILPIN INFORMATION ON    Aster praealtus
 
 
 CLASS:    DICOTYLEDENAE
 ORDER:    ASTERALES
 FAMILY:   ASTERACEAE
 SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Aster praealtus
 AUTHORITY:  Poir.
 
 COMMON NAMES:
    WILLOW-LEAVED ASTER
 
 SYNONOMY:   None
 
 PLANTS CODE: ASPR2
 
 NATURAL COMMUNITIES:
     FOREST
       THICKETS
     PRAIRIE
       TYPICAL PRAIRIE
         DRY
         DRY-MESIC
         MESIC
     WETLAND
       BORDER OF LAKE
     CULTURAL
       AGRICULTURAL FIELD
       SUCCESSIONAL FIELD
       DEVELOPED LAND
 
 
 SAF FOREST COVER TYPE:
     NO
 
 NATURAL DIVISION:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 COUNTIES:
   ADAMS           ALEXANDER       BOND            BOONE           BROWN
   BUREAU          CALHOUN         CASS            CHAMPAIGN       CHRISTIAN
   CLARK           CLAY            COLES           COOK            CRAWFORD
   CUMBERLAND      DEKALB          DEWITT          DUPAGE          EFFINGHAM
   FAYETTE         FULTON          GREENE          GRUNDY          HAMILTON
   HANCOCK         HENDERSON       HENRY           JACKSON         JASPER
   JEFFERSON       JO DAVIESS      JOHNSON         KANE            KANKAKEE
   KNOX            LAKE            LASALLE         LAWRENCE        LEE
   LIVINGSTON      LOGAN           MCDONOUGH       MCHENRY         MCLEAN
   MACON           MACOUPIN        MADISON         MARION          MASON
   MENARD          MONTGOMERY      MORGAN          MOULTRIE        OGLE
   PEORIA          PERRY           PIATT           POPE            PULASKI
   RANDOLPH        RICHLAND        ST. CLAIR       SANGAMON        SHELBY
   STARK           STEPHENSON      UNION           VERMILION       WABASH
   WASHINGTON      WAYNE           WILLIAMSON      WINNEBAGO       WOODFORD
 
 
 GROWTH FORM:  Dicot-herb
 
 TAXONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS:
    ROOTS:  Adventitious   (rhizomes)
    LEAF ARRANGEMENT:   Alternate
    LEAF TYPE:   Simple
    LEAF MARGIN:   Entire
    LEAF VENATION:  Pinnate
    LEAF SHAPE:     Linear   Oblong   Lanceolate   Ovate     Oval
    INFLORESCENCE:   Head
    FLOWER STRUCTURE:   Complete   Incomplete   Regular   Irregular
    FLOWER COLOR:   Blue   Violet
    FLOWER PLACEMENT:  Epigynous
    FRUIT:   Achene
 
 DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC COMMENTS:
     Species is often densely colonial; rarely with white rays. Leaves are thick,
     conspicuously reticulate beneath with nearly isodiametric
     areolae.
 
 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   Vegetative
     FLOWERING PERIOD:
         MONTH BEGINNING-      9         MONTH END-     10
     TROPHIC STATUS:  Autotrophic
     SEX:      Perfect     Unisexual   -monoecious
 
 BIOLOGIC COMMENTS:
     Disk florets are perfect; ray florets are pistillate; both fertile.
 
 ECODISTRIBUTION COMMENTS:
     Species is distributed in wet meadows, river bottom prairies, prairie
     swales, fields in valleys and uplands; along roadsides.
 
 ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS:   No data entered
 
 FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:
     MAJOR POLLINATION AGENT:   INSECT
 
 HUMAN RELATIONSHIP DATA:
     SHOWY FLOWERS:  YES      AMOUNT:  High
 
 
 HUMAN FACTOR COMMENTS:
     This is a beautiful species and deserves a wider recognition
     horticulturally.
 
 WILDLIFE AND LIVESTOCK INFORMATION:   No data entered
 
 LIVESTOCK COMMENTS:
     Species is possible facultative selenium accumulator.
 
 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.
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 praealtus
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 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