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Lava Aster - Ionactis alpina
Other Names:
Aster scopulorum
Native Species
Global Rank:
G5
State Rank:
S4
(see State Rank Reason below)
C-value:
Agency Status
USFWS:
USFS:
BLM:
External Links
State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
Numerous collections from a large number of counties in western Montana. This plants high elevation habitat is probably currently secure. Regionally endemic.
General Description
Perennial from a branched caudex. Stems sterile and fertile, erect, 4–15 cm. Herbage scabrous with pubescent to tomentose stems. Leaves cauline sessile, lanceolate to oblanceolate, entire, 3–12 mm long. Inflorescence a solitary head; peduncles villous. Involucre turbinate, 7–11 mm high; phyllaries linear, villous, glandular, keeled, scarious-margined. Rays 7 to 21, blue; ligules 6–15 mm long. Disk flowers yellow; corolla 5–7 mm long. Pappus in 2 series. Achenes linear-obovoid, 5–6 mm long, sericeous (
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
Species Range
Montana Range
Range Descriptions
Native
Range Comments
OR to MT south to CA, NV and UT (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 123
(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version)
Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density
Recency
(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)
Habitat
References
- Literature Cited AboveLegend:
View Online Publication- Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 771 p.
- Additional ReferencesLegend: View Online Publication
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Britton, M. P. 1955. An ecological study of a relict grassland and an adjacent grazed pasture in Beaverhead Valley, Montana. M.S. thesis. Montana State University, Bozeman. 23 pp.- Culver, D.R. 1994. Floristic analysis of the Centennial Region, Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Montana State University, Bozeman. 199 pp.
- Harvey, S.J. 1990. Responses of steppe plants to gradients of water soil texture and disturbance in Montana, U.S.A. Ph.D. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 34 p.
- Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2022. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants, Second Edition. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 779 p.
- Nimir, M.B. 1974. The effect of spring burning of big sagebrush-grassland (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.-grassland) on the soil and vegetation. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 139 p.
- Quire, R.L. 2013. The sagebrush steppe of Montana and southeastern Idaho shows evidence of high native plant diversity, stability, and resistance to the detrimental effects of nonnative plant species. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 124 p.
- Seipel, T.F. 2006. Plant species diversity in the sagebrush steppe of Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 87 p.
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