Yukon Aster
Symphyotrichum yukonense (Cronquist) G.L. Nesom is native to mud flats, gravelly, stony or silty lakeshores, sometimes saline areas in disjunct areas on the John River in the southern Brooks Rangein Alaska, Lake Kluane in the Yukon, and the Mackenzie Mountains and middle Mackenzie River of the Northwest Territories ().Ìý The species is distinguished by its erect 5–30 cm tall stipitate-glandular stems, linear to linear-lanceolate sparsely strigose leaves, the upper ones ± stipitate-glandular, 1–3(–6) heads in open, corymbo-paniculiform arrays, ± densely short-villous ± glandularpeduncles and outer foliaceous phyllaries that are villous and stipitate-glandular.Ìý The species is diploid (2n=10).
It appears closely related to S. pygmaeum.Ìý The species is of conservation concern.Ìý The U. of Alaska (Alaska Rare Plant Field Guide) has posted a useful .
Last revised 16 May 2025 by J.C. Semple
© 2025 J.C. Semple, including all photographs unless otherwise indicated
1-4. Symphyotrichum yukonensis.ÌýSemple & B. Semple 10624, S end of Kluane Lake, Yukon Territory, Canada. 1. Habitat and habit of small plant. 2. Three dried shoots. 3. Heads. 4. Fruit, scale bar = 1 mm.
Brouillet, L., J.C. Semple, G.A. Allen, K. Chambers and S. Sundberg. 2006. Symphyotrichum Nees. pp. 465-539. In Flora North America Editorial Committee, eds. Flora of North America. Vol. 20. Asteraceae, Part 2. Astereae and Senecioneae. Oxford University Press, New York.