Oclemena acuminata (Michx.) Greene
Whorled wood aster, mountain aster, sharp-leaved aster
Kingdom Plantae Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom Tracheobionta Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division Magnoliophyta Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class Magnoliopsida Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass Asteridae A large class that encompasses asters
Order Asterales Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies
Family Asteraceae The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers
Genus Oclemena
Species acuminata Having a long tapering point
About plant names...
Whorled aster is a North American native plant.
Plants: Plants are 12-31″ (30-80 cm) high, found in wooded
areas.
Leaves: Oval, coarsely toothed, pointed leaves
form a whorl around the stem. Okay, they seem to be whorled : in fact, they are alternate and
only look whorled when viewed from above. The arrangement of leaves, resembling a pinwheel,
collects limited forest floor light more efficiently.
Flowers: Flowers form a roughly spherical cluster at the top, of flowers that are
⅞-1½″ (2.5-4 cm) in diameter. Each "flower" is a composite flower ,
composed of disheveled-looking white ray flowers surrounding a central disc
that is yellow or purplish in color. Ray flowers are bent backward, not straight as in most other
aster family flowers, and composed of about 15 (9-18) rays. They appear Jul-Oct.
Fruits: Achenes are ⅛″ (3 mm) × 1/32″ (0.5 mm),
and have many glands.
Online References:
The Connecticut Botanical Society's Connecticut wildflowers site
Discover Life
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Ontario Wildflowers
The Evergreen Native Plant Database
CalPhotos
EFloras
9/15/2010 · Red Dot Trail, Long Lake Park, Littleton, Massachusetts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain
10/19/2014 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire · ≈ 8 × 5″ (20 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain
10/7/2012 · Beaver Brook Assn Conservation Lands, Hollis, New Hampshire · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain
8/25/2017 · Pack Monadnock, near summit, Peterborough, New Hampshire · ≈ 6 × 4″ (14 × 10 cm)
8/27/2010 · Beaver Brook Association Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hampshire · ≈ 8 × 12″ (20 × 31 cm) ID is uncertain
9/7/2013 · Beech Hill, Dublin, New Hampshire · ≈ 9 × 6″ (23 × 16 cm)
8/16/2012 · Mt. Tom State Reservation, Beau Bridge Trail, Holyoke, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9.2 cm)
8/27/2010 · Beaver Brook Association Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hampshire · ≈ 11 × 7″ (27 × 18 cm) ID is uncertain
9/18/2016 · Barred Island Preserve, Deer Isle, Maine
9/24/2012 · Squannacook River Wildlife Area, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 11 × 7″ (27 × 18 cm) ID is uncertain
Older scientific or horticultural names
Aster acuminatus Michx.
Aster acuminatus Michx. var. magdalenensis Fernald
Oclemena acuminata description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 7 Sep 2023.
© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.
9/9/2010 · Pine Meadow Conservation Trust Land, Groton Harvard Road, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 11 × 7″ (27 × 18 cm) ID is uncertain
10/19/2014 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire · ≈ 8 × 5″ (20 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain
8/27/2010 · Beaver Brook Association Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hampshire · ≈ 14 × 9″ (35 × 23 cm) ID is uncertain
9/11/2012 · Mt. Watatic, Ashburnham, Massachusetts · ≈ 3½ × 2½″ (9.3 × 6.2 cm) ID is uncertain
9/20/2013 · Mt. Watatic, Ashby, Massachusetts · ≈ 10 × 7″ (25 × 16 cm) ID is uncertain
8/16/2020 · Long Reach Preserve, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm)
9/4/2023 · Thorne Head Preserve, Bath, Maine · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 8.7 cm)
9/20/2013 · Mt. Watatic, Ashby, Massachusetts · ≈ 11 × 7″ (28 × 18 cm) ID is uncertain
9/18/2016 · Barred Island Preserve, Deer Isle, Maine
7/30/2010 · Willard Brook State Forest, Blue Trail, Ashby & Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 20 cm) ID is uncertain
9/7/2013 · Beech Hill, Dublin, New Hampshire · ≈ 10 × 7″ (25 × 16 cm)
8/25/2017 · Pack Monadnock, near summit, Peterborough, New Hampshire · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 11 cm)
8/25/2017 · Pack Monadnock, near summit, Peterborough, New Hampshire · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)
Range:
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