Aster (genus)
Mountain Aster (Aster amellus )
The asters (Aster ) are a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family ( Asteraceae). Today about 180 species are widespread Eurasia. Some species and their varieties are used as ornamental plants in parks and gardens.
Description
Aster species are mostly perennial, sometimes one or two perennial herbaceous plants, rarely subshrubs or shrubs, and reach heights of growth of 3 inches to 3 feet. They often have rhizomes. The change-constant leaves may be stalked or sessile. The leaf margins may be smooth or toothed. Often the leaves are both in basal rosettes ( rosette leaves, basal leaves ) and alternate arranged on the stem ( cauline ).
The bloom conditions can appear singly or in groups on a stalk. The flower heads, there are Pseudanthien, so blossoms organic " flowers ", consist of a single row (rarely two-row ) wreath of usually 14-55 (rarely 100 to 150 ) florets (also called ray florets ) and the Centre from 20 to over 100 mostly yellow tubular flowers (also called disc florets ). The color spectrum of ray florets white covers, pink, red, blue and purple. There are usually formed with a pappus achenes.
The term " Aster " in literature and symbolism
Gottfried Benn used in his expressionist poem Kleine Aster these plants names, where one does not know whether he meant the genus Aster or one of the other classes that are mentioned in the German asters.
The term " switch " is a symbol of dream interpretation and a distinction is made in the interpretation depending on the color.
Systematics and distribution
The genus Aster was established in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus in Species Plantarum, 2, p 872. As Lectotypusart 1913 Aster amellus L. has been set. The Latin derivation of the genus name Aster is astrum what star constellation means and refers to the radiating arrangement of the beam or ray florets.
The Tribe Astereae was reorganized, so that today the genus Aster has a completely different scale than before, and only species of the Old World are to the genus. This according to the old system, consisting of about 500 to 600 species genus had a distribution in Eurasia, Africa, and especially America.
New findings have shown that the North American species of the genus are more closely related to the Eurasian, but with other genres - such as the profession herbs ( Erigeron ) and goldenrod (Solidago ) - from North America make up a single, monophyletic group. G. Nesom (1994 ) then proposed a subdivision into other genera, which is supported by DNA analysis. The North American asters are now found among others in the genera Eurybia and Symphyotrichum. Here are also commonly used garden plants such as smooth leaf Aster ( Symphyotrichum novi- belgii ) and Raublatt aster ( Symphyotrichum novae- angliae ). Due to the great reputation of the name Aster and the homonymous German and scientific name, the new name has not yet been set common in recreational and acquisition gardeners.
Synonyms of Aster L. s.str. are: Alkibias Raf, Raf Anactis, Bellidiaster Dumort, Bindera Raf, Brachyaster Ambrosi, Chlamydites JRDrumm, Deinosmos Raf, Raf Diplactis, linosyris Cass, Bellidastrum Scop, Lasallea Greene.. .. .. .. .
According to recent opinion includes only species of the Old World to the genus Aster, only species that is native to North America and is still counted in the genus Aster in the newer scope is Culminis. Today there are 180 to 200 species in the genus Aster s.str. :
- Aster ageratoides Turcz. : Aster ageratoides Turcz. var ageratoides
- Aster ageratoides var firmus ( Diels ) Hand. - Mazz.
- Aster ageratoides var gerlachii ( Hance ) CCChang ex Y.Ling
- Aster ageratoides heterophyllus var Maxim.
- Aster ageratoides var intermedius ( Soejima ) Mot. Ito & Soejima
- Aster ageratoides var lasiocladus ( Hayata ) Hand. - Mazz.
- Aster ageratoides var laticorymbus ( Vaniot ) Hand. - Mazz.
- Aster ageratoides var leiophyllus ( Franch. & Sav. ) Y.Ling
- Aster ageratoides var micranthus Y.Ling
- Aster ageratoides var ovalifolius Kitam.
- Aster ageratoides var sawadanus Kitam.
- Aster ageratoides var tenuifolius Kitam.
- Aster microcephalus ( Miq. ) Franch. & Sav var microcephalus
- Aster microcephalus var ovatus ( syn. Aster ovatus ( Franch. & Sav ) Mot.Ito & Soejima. )
- Aster microcephalus var Ripensis Makino
- Aster microcephalus var yezoensis ( Kitam. & H.Hara ) Soejima & Mot. Ito
No longer the genus Aster s.str. include:
- Aster acuminatus → Oclemena acuminata
- Alpenmaßliebchen ( syn. Aster Bellidiastrum ) → Bellidiastrum michelii
- Gray Aster (Aster canus W. et K. ) → Galatella cana
- Aster ( syn. Aster chinensis) → Callistephus chinensis
- Veil Aster ( syn. Aster cordifolius ) → Symphyotrichum cordifolium
- Aster divaricatus → Eurybia divaricata
- Aster Symphyotrichum dumosus → dumosum
- Pillow Aster ( syn. Aster dumosus - Hybr. ) → Symphyotrichum dumosum - Hybr. = Symphyotrichum Symphyotrichum novi- dumosum × belgii
- Myrtenaster or Erika Aster ( syn. Aster ericoides ) → Symphyotrichum ericoides
- Aster Symphyotrichum laeve laevis →
- Lanzettblättrige Aster ( syn. Aster lanceolatus ) → Symphyotrichum lanceolatum ( Willd.) Nesom
- Aster linariifolius → Ionactis linariifolia
- Gold Aster ( syn.. Aster linosyris (L.) Bernh ) → Galatella linosyris
- Aster nemoralis nemoralis → Oclemena
- Raublatt Aster or New England Aster (syn.: Aster novae- angliae ) → Symphyotrichum novae- angliae
- Smooth leaf Aster ( syn. Aster novi- belgii ) → Symphyotrichum novi- belgii
- Small-flowered Aster ( syn. Aster parviflorus ) → Machaeranthera parviflora Gray
- Aster pilosus → Symphyotrichum pilosum
- Aster ptarmicoides → Oligoneuron album
- Aster savatieri → Gymnaster savatieri
- Aster sibiricus → Eurybia sibirica
- Beach Aster ( syn. Aster tripolium ) → Tripolium pannonicum
- Aster umbellatus (Mill.) → Doellingeria umbellata (Mill.) Nees
- Beautiful Japanese Aster ( Kalimeris incisa ( Fisch. ) DC, Syn. Aster incisus fish. )
Use
Varieties of some species are used as ornamental plants in parks and gardens.
The medical effects of some species was investigated.