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Symphyotrichum concolor

(L.) Nesom

Eastern Silvery Aster

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1205852
Element CodePDASTE9100
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderAsterales
FamilyAsteraceae
GenusSymphyotrichum
Synonyms
Aster concolorL.
Concept Reference
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2006b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 20. Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, part 7: Asteraceae, part 2. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxii + 666 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
FNA (2006b) recognizes the Florida endemic, Symphyotrichum plumosum, as distinct from Symphyotrichum concolor, a species that occurs throughout the eastern United States. Kartesz (1999) included Symphyotrichum plumosum in Symphyotrichum concolor. Symphyotrichum concolor var. concolor and Symphyotrichum concolor var. devestitum are recognized in some treatments as valid taxa (FNA 2006b, Weakley 2020).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2021-05-26
Change Date2021-05-26
Edition Date2021-05-26
Edition AuthorsTreher (2021)
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Symphyotrichum concolor is a perennial herb that occurs in the eastern United States. It is most common on the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains and the Piedmont. There are hundreds of occurrences of this common species that occurs on roadsides and in forest and woodland coastal plain and piedmont communities. There are no significant declines or threats reported. Symphyotrichum concolor var. devestitum is restricted to a single county in Florida, while the typical variety accounts for the remainder of the species range.
Range Extent Comments
Symphyotrichum concolor occurs in the eastern United States (FNA 2006b). It is most common on the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains and the Piedmont, ranging from New York south to Florida, and west to Kentucky, Tennessee, and Louisiana (FNA 2006b). Symphyotrichum concolor var. devestitum is restricted to a single county in Florida, while the typical variety accounts for the remainder of the species range (FNA 2006b).
Occurrences Comments
Based on herbaria collections and 'research grade' photo-based observations, there are well over 300 occurrences (SEINet 2021, iNaturalist 2022). Weakley (2020) reports that this species is common throughout the southeastern coastal plain and piedmont.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This species occurs in a variety of habitats from fields and roadside to Long Leaf Pine Sandhills, oak scrub, pine rocklands, woodlands, and forest edge habitats in sand or loam soils. It occurs at elevations between 0 and 600 m (FNA 2006b, Weakley 2020).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceousOld field
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
New YorkS1Yes
MississippiSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
VirginiaS4Yes
Rhode IslandSHYes
District of ColumbiaSXYes
DelawareSHYes
North CarolinaS5Yes
South CarolinaSNRYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
KentuckySNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
MarylandS1Yes
FloridaS4Yes
LouisianaSNRYes
New JerseySNRYes
Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
Florida (1)
AreaForestAcres
Alexander Springs CreekOcala National Forest2,954
References (5)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2006b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 20. Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, part 7: Asteraceae, part 2. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxii + 666 pp.
  2. iNaturalist. 2021. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2021).
  3. Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
  4. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2021. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2021).
  5. Weakley, A.S. 2020. Flora of the Southeastern United States. 20 October 2020 Edition. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.