Species: Sericocarpus rigidus
Columbian White-top Aster
Species
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Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
A 4-12 inch tall (1-3 dm) plant with leafy stem and a single, compact terminal cluster of flower heads with yellow central disk flowers and white to blue ray flowers.
Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Anthophyta
Class
Dicotyledoneae
Order
Asterales
Family
Asteraceae
Genus
Sericocarpus
NatureServe
Classification
Other Global Common Names
Columbian whitetop aster - Curtus' Aster - Whitetop Aster
Informal Taxonomy
Plants, Vascular - Flowering Plants - Aster Family
Formal Taxonomy
Plantae - Anthophyta - Dicotyledoneae - Asterales - Asteraceae - Sericocarpus
Ecology and Life History
A 4-12 inch tall (1-3 dm) plant with leafy stem and a single, compact terminal cluster of flower heads with yellow central disk flowers and white to blue ray flowers.
Short General Description
An erect, relatively small (10-30 cm tall) perennial. Leaves are alternate, broadly lanceolate, three-nerved with short-hairy margins. Lower and upper leaves reduced. Flowerheads are short-stalked and five to twenty. Flowers have white rays and are inconspicuous.
Reproduction Comments
The taxon appears to rely primarily upon asexual reproduction, through framentation of existing clones and repeated production of new ramets.
Ecology Comments
Occurs primarily in open grassland habitats. Population levels and vigor decline as a canopy of trees or shrubs develops. Seedlings appear to be poor competitors.
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G3
Global Status Last Reviewed
2007-07-09
Global Status Last Changed
1984-07-16
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
<img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.BC=S2&US.OR=S2&US.WA=S3" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
Global Range
Regional endemic: southwest British Columbia (restricted to souther Vancouver Island), Puget Trough in Washington and Willamette Valley, Oregon.