Sunday, August 19, 2012

Douglas' Aster, Aster Subspicatus


Day 320: Imagine my surprise when walking around a paved trail in an urban park, I discovered pretty little purple asters brightening a field of dry grass at the edge of a wetland. I could not recall photographing this particular variety before, so I snapped several pictures to document the identifying features, and then when I got home, I turned to my trusty field guides. I believe this is Aster subspicatus (aka Symphyotrichum subspicatum), Douglas' Aster. Mark Turner's "Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest" refers to it as a coastal species which sometimes occurs inland as far as Mount Rainier National Park. That means I probably have another photo of it somewhere, but certainly not against as lovely a backdrop.

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