Climbing Aster (MatBio: TREES & SHRUBS - Matanzas Biodiversity)

Climbing Aster

Ampelaster carolinianus

Summary ⁷

Ampelaster is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family, Asteraceae. There is a single species, Ampelaster carolinianus, known as climbing aster.

Description ⁸

Plants deciduous to evergreen by production of new growth, sprawling, climbing over other plants. Stems weak, 5–10 mm diam., branches at right angles. Leaf blades 30–70 × 10–15(–20) mm, reduced distally, membranous, bases auriculate-clasping, apices acuminate. Heads 1–15 per branch. Peduncles 1–4 cm, densely pilose; bracts lanceolate to ovate, 3–10 mm. Ray florets: laminae 9–15(–20) × 1–1.6 mm; style-branch appendages narrowly triangular. Disc florets corollas 6–8 mm, limbs 50–60% corollas, lobes 0.6–1.1 mm, 10–20% corollas. Cypselae usually tan to brown, sometimes mottled purple to black between light colored ribs, 3.5–4.3 mm; pappi shorter than disc corollas. 2n = 18.