Flag for Taxon: American asters (Genus Symphyotrichum)
| Flagger | Content Author | Content | Reason | Flag Created | Resolved by | Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rynxs | American asters (Genus Symphyotrichum) |
finish sectioning |
Sep. 23, 2022 04:06:00 +0000 | rynxs |
see comments |
Comments
@elizabeth1067 if you have any relevant resources it would be appreciated. Also, if you know of applicable common names for subgenera and sections, I think they will be incredibly helpful for ID purposes. Let me know what you think of the common name I put in for Heterophylli; that one in particular was a section I've been wanting for a while.
Hi @rynxs.
John Semple gives the common name "Heart-Leaf Panicled Asters" to subsection Heterophylli on his website at https://uwaterloo.ca/astereae-lab/symphyotrichum-heterophylli. The new combination was named by Semple, Heard, & Brouillet in 2002 in the following source, p. 133. It is within this publication that many of the current classifications were named after the authors performed molecular and phylogenetic studies.
Semple, J.C.; Heard, S.B.; Brouillet, L. (2002). "Cultivated and Native Asters of Ontario (Compositae: Astereae)". University of Waterloo Biology Series. 41: 1–134.
The publication is out of print. However, in 2021, while I was significantly updating the Wikipedia article "List of Symphyotrichum species" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Symphyotrichum_species), I was able to find someone who had access to a copy and who sent me some images of the pages I needed. Common names are not available within that publication, but often Semple, on his website, has some for the subgenera, sections, and subsections of his areas of focus. These levels are not always easy to find on his website, so I will attempt to provide the information in a follow-up message.
I don't know that any of the hybrids are placed in sections or subsections. If they are, I missed it. I see that iNat has S. × schistosum and S. × finkii within the Heterophylli subsection, for example, and others at the section levels. It may be safer to bring them up to the subgenus level as I have done on the Wikipedia list page unless you have a readily available source for further categorizing the hybrids. Three of the hybrids are in subgenus Virgulus and the rest in subgenus Symphyotrichum. If you have a source, please let me know because I would like to review it as well.
The current clades, with available common names and links to Semple's website pages, if available, are in the next message. The entire list of species and hybrids is on the Wikipedia page.
E
Hi @rynxs. Continuing...
Symphyotrichum subg. Chapmaniana (Semple) Semple: "Chapman's Aster" (https://uwaterloo.ca/astereae-lab/research/asters/symphyotrichum/symphyotrichum-subg-chapmaniani-0) [This is a monotypic subgenus containing only Symphyotrichum chapmanii.]
Symphyotrichum subg. Astropolium (Nutt.) Semple: "Salt Marsh Asters" (https://uwaterloo.ca/astereae-lab/research/asters/symphyotrichum/symphyotrichum-subg-astropolium) [Semple has the group as "North American Salt Marsh Asters", but it contains South American species as well. His page does not include some that were defined by Sancho & Ariza Espinar in 2003. The Wikipedia list page does. I believe all of the species are now in iNat, although I haven't double-checked since recent additions.]
Symphyotrichum subg. Virgulus (Raf.) G.L.Nesom: "Virguloid Asters" (https://uwaterloo.ca/astereae-lab/research/asters/symphyotrichum/symphyotrichum-subg-virgulus)
sect. Ericoidei (Torr. & A.Gray) G.L.Nesom
sect. Patentes (Torr. & A.Gray) G.L.Nesom
subsect. Brachyphylli (Torr. & A.Gray) G.L.Nesom
subsect. Patentes
sect. Grandiflori (Torr. & A.Gray) G.L.Nesom
subsect. Mexicanae G.L.Nesom: [Take care not to call this "Mexican Asters", as there are asters not in this group that are also in Mexico, such as some in subgenus Astropolium.]
subsect. Grandiflori (Torr. & A.Gray) G.L.Nesom
sect. Polyliguli (Semple & Brouillet) Semple
sect. Concolores (Torr. & A.Gray) G.L.Nesom
Symphyotrichum subg. Ascendentes (Rydb.) Semple: (https://uwaterloo.ca/astereae-lab/research/asters/symphyotrichum/symphyotrichum-subg-ascendentes) [Semple has a subheader on this page of "Noteworthy Allopolyploid Asters", although I don't know that "Noteworthy" is appropriate for a common name. Maybe "Allopolyploid Asters"?]
Symphyotrichum subg. Symphyotrichum
sect. Conyzopsis (Torr. & A.Gray) G.L.Nesom: (https://uwaterloo.ca/astereae-lab/symphyotrichum-sect-conyzopsis) [Semple does not give this a common name.]
sect. Occidentales (Rydb.) G.L.Nesom: "Foliacei Asters" (https://uwaterloo.ca/astereae-lab/research/asters/symphyotrichum/symphyotrichum-subsect-occidentales) [Nesom treats this at the section level and Semple on his website at the subsection level. The latter is what iNat has. In Wikipedia, I kept it at the section level because I was unable to find a source other than Semple's website for the classification. I contacted him on 10 August 2021 about this discrepancy, and he said it is an error on his website and he will correct it. I am sure it is on his list of things to do, but he has been nose deep in his monograph of Solidago for several years and postpones minor Symphyotrichum changes, which I can understand. I think iNat should treat it as a section as Nesom did.]
sect. Turbinelli (Rydb.) Semple: [This is a monotypic section containing only Symphyotrichum turbinelli. No common name found, although the species' common name is "Prairie Aster".]
sect. Symphyotrichum
subsect. Dumosi (Torr. & A.Gray) G.L.Nesom: "Bushy Asters" (https://uwaterloo.ca/astereae-lab/research/asters/symphyotrichum/symphyotrichum-subsect-dumosi) [Semple calls this "Bushy Asters and Relatives", although I would remove the "and Relatives" part and just use "Bushy Asters" if I were curating.]
subsect. Heterophylli (Nees) Semple: "Heart-Leaf Panicled Asters" (https://uwaterloo.ca/astereae-lab/symphyotrichum-heterophylli)
series Concinni (Nees) Semple
series Cordifolii (G.Don in Loudon) Semple
subsect. Porteriani (Rydb.) G.L.Nesom: "Old Field Asters" (https://uwaterloo.ca/astereae-lab/research/asters/symphyotrichum/symphyotrichum-subsect-porteriani) [Semple calles this one "Old Field Asters and Relatives", although I would remove the "and Relatives" part and just use "Old Field Asters" if I were curating.]
subsect. Symphyotrichum (https://uwaterloo.ca/astereae-lab/research/asters/symphyotrichum/symphyotrichum-subsect-symphyotrichum)
series Punicei (House) Semple: "Punicei Asters"
series Symphyotrichum
That's what I came up with. Let me know if I can be of further assistance, and I hope this is what you need.
Elizabeth
I just place the hybrids into the lowest common denominator section of the parent taxa. If sections are monophyletic, then the hybrids should belong in the relevant phylogeny as well.
I had put Occidentales in as a subsection because that was the ancestry on his website. I changed it to a section in subg. Symphyotricum.
I named Conyzopsis "fleabane asters," Occidentales "foliaceous asters," subsect. Symphyotrichum "eastern American asters," and subg. Symphyotrichum "common American asters."
For the sections of subg. Virgulus, I named Concolores "silky asters," Brachyphylli "scaleleaf asters," subsect. Patentes "late purple asters," sect. Patentes "late and scaleleaf purple asters," Ericoidei "white heath and prairie asters," and subsect. Grandiflori "largeflower asters."
Honestly, I think it would be okay to name Mexicanae "Mexican asters." Other Symphyotrichum do occur in Mexico, but the species in Mexicanae only occur in Mexico, right? We do have true Aster species in America, but we still call Symphyotrichum "American asters."
Hi, @rynxs.
Yes, you're right about Mexicanae.
Reviewing current placements.
-- Symphyotrichum kralii is currently unplaced (see https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:314746-2). There is one non-RG observation in iNat. It should remain at the genus level as it needs further study before its placement can be determined. After some of the following changes, it should be the only species left at the genus level. If that's not the case, then I missed something.
Subgenus Astropolium
-- Subgenus Astropolium should include the following which are currently categorized in iNat at the genus level: S. divaricatum and S. expansum.
-- Symphyotrichum bahamense is now a synonym of Symphyotrichum subulatum var. elongatum rather than its own species, as accepted by POWO. See https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:60437846-2. If you merge the taxon names, keeping Symphyotrichum subulatum var. elongatum, all should be well with that one. The common name is "Bahaman aster" (see http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250068862 in Flora of North America (FNA) for that).
-- S. subulatum var. squamatum has the common name of "Southeastern Annual Saltmarsh Aster", from FNA (http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250059793).
-- Symphyotrichum bracei is a synonym of Symphyotrichum tenuifolium var. aphyllum and should be merged into that variety (see https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:981775-1). S. tenuifolium var. aphyllum can be called "Brace’s Aster" (http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250068866).
Subsection Mexicanae
-- Subsection Mexicanae should include the following four species which are currently classified at the genus level: S. bimater, S. chihuahuense, S. purpurascens, and S. turneri. These three species are already in this subsection, as they should be: S. hintonii, S. moranense, and S. trilineatum. I have found no common names for any of these seven species.
Section Concolores
-- S. lucayanum can be called "Pineland Aster" (see http://www.levypreserve.org/Plant-Listings/Symphyotrichum-lucayanum).
-- FNA shows S. sericeum with the common name "Western Silvery Aster" (http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250067684).
Subgenus Virgulus hybrids
-- I can't find a common name, but Symphyotrichum × batesii was named for the discoverer Bates, possibly botanist John Mallory Bates, although that would require more research.
-- S. × columbianum was discovered in the basin of the Columbia River of Washington and Oregon states, hence its original name of Aster columbianus.
Section Conyzopsis
-- FNA calls S. frondosum "Short-rayed Alkali Aster" (http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250067649).
Section Occidentales
-- Symphyotrichum chilense ssp. chilense does not exist and can be merged into S. chilense (https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:981782-1).
-- Symphyotrichum cusickii, currently at the genus level in iNat, since 2012 is considered a variety of S. foliaceum and can be moved to Symphyotrichum foliaceum var. cusickii (https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77128960-1).
Subsection Dumosi
-- Symphyotrichum carnerosanum should be placed here. It was discovered at Carneros Pass in the mountains of Coahuila, Mexico, in 1889. I don't know of a common name, but "Carneros Aster" would seem appropriate (https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8866077#page/159/mode/1up).
Subsection Porteriani
-- Symphyotrichum kentuckiense could possibly be called "Kentucky Aster", although I haven't seen that anywhere. Currently, Wikipedia redirects it to S. priceae, but as of 2021, it is accepted as its own species. I will correct that soon.
Elizabeth
Hello, again,
Further, it appears that POWO is now accepting S. priceae as a hybrid with formula S. kentuckiense × S. pilosum named Symphyotrichum × priceae, so let me investigate that before any change is made to S. priceae. I suspect that there are observations in iNat classified as S. priceae which are actually S. kentuckiense, so I'd like to recategorize them after I take a look at them. There are only 42. I would also like to see if I can determine what caused the change, as it was listed as S. priceae last year, and it may have been thought of as a hybrid earlier. More to come on that.
Elizabeth
Quick follow-up. S. kentuckiense is actually "Price's Aster" and the hybrid (currently labeled in iNat as S. priceae) may not have a common name. More to come.
@elizabeth1067 does this paper sound right?
https://www.phytoneuron.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/18PhytoN-Asterpriceae.pdf
I'll move the flag over to S. priceae, since this is more relevant there.
Flag for S. priceae: https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/588936
Yep, that's the paper.
Sectioned off as much as I could, but the source I'm using doesn't include every species. I'd like to find where the remaining few belong.