ASTERACEAE
Symphyotrichum drummondii var. texanum
Common Name: Texas Aster
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| heads in Fall | heads again--what kind of flowers are present here? Ray flowers, disk flowers, or both? | 
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| involucral bracts underneath the head--in the Asteraceae, these bracts are called phyllaries | head closeup--often, there is just a hint of purple in the ray corollas of Symphyotrichum drummondii | 
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| older head--after the disk flowers are pollinated, the disk corollas turn purplish | basal leaves--what leaf shape and margin are present? | 
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| lower stem leaves in Fall--by Fall, various insects have usually chewed up the bigger leaves of Symphyotrichum drummondii! | upper stem leaves--these leaves are much smaller than the leaves nearer the ground! This dichotomy in leaf size is frequently encountered in the Asteraceae. |