John C. Semple WAT

Aster L. in the new sense

The genus Aster in the new narrow sense includes only those species clearly closely related to Aster amellus L., the type species of the genus. All species included in the genus have a chromosomal base number of x = 9 and are native to Europe and Asia. Brouillet, Allen, Semple and Ito (2001) determined that many of the Eurasian species of asters (including A. amellus) belong to the same clade and thus can be retained in the genus Aster. Further work is needed to determine how relationships and to create a suitable and phylogenetic infrageneric classification.

Summary of infrageneric classification

Some European species

Aster amellus (type species of genus)
Aster × frikartii (A. amellus X A. thompsonii)
Aster pyrenaeus

Eurasian species

Aster tataricus

Aster sect. Alpigeni (Diplactis)

Aster culminis (native to North America)
Aster alpinus (Eurasia); cultivar, dried involucre, Ontario
Aster tongolensis (Eastern Asia); habit cult. Waterloo; head
many other species

Some eastern Asian species

The Kalimeris group (see also Aster ageratoides)
The Asian 'Doellingeria' group (A. rugulosus, A. sohayakiensis, A. dimorphophylla, A. komonoensis, A. miqueliana, A. longipetiolata, A. marchandii, A. scabra)
Aster ageratoides
Aster diplostephoides
Aster hispidus
Aster iinumae
Aster mongolicus
Aster taiwanensis
Aster yakushensis
Aster yunnanensis