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Photographer: Christopher Noll
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Family Asteraceae
Aster puniceus L.
bristly aster, purple-stem aster, swamp aster
Aster: from the Greek aster, "a star," describing the radiate heads of the flowers
puniceus: reddish-purple; puce
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| Status: | Native |
| Plant: | erect, perennial, 1'-7' tall forb; stems hairy, reddish, thick, simple or with upper branches |
| Flower: | head 1"-1 1/2" wide with 30-60 pale blue to purple rays; inflorescence of a few to many heads in loose, open clusters with some large leaves; blooms Aug.-Oct. |
| Fruit: | dry, smooth seed |
| Leaf: | not crowded, dark green, mostly only along the stem, stalkless, clasping, usually slightly toothed, lance-like to oblong with hairs only along the lower midrib  |
| Habitat: | moist; woods, forests, meadows, streambanks |
| (Glossary) |
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