Eurybia avita

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Campanulids
Ordo: Asterales

Familia: Asteraceae
Subfamilia: Asteroideae
Tribus: Astereae
Subtribus: Unassigned Astereae
Genus: Eurybia
Species: Eurybia avita
Name

Eurybia avita (Alexander) G.L.Nesom

Eurybia avita, commonly called Alexander's rock aster, is a rare North American plant species, a herbaceous perennial in the family Asteraceae that was formerly considered part of the genus Aster. It is native to the southeastern United States.[3] It is of conservation concern as it is found in less than 50 sites, typically only in sandy soils near granite flatrocks, and it is most likely already extirpated in North Carolina. Its habitat is threatened by development and the recreational use of the area where it grows. It is very similar to both E. surculosa and E. paludosa and more research needs to be done to determine the exact relationship between the three species.[4]

Eurybia avita is a perennial herb sometimes as much as 80 cm (32 inches) tall, having 1-5 stems and reproducing by means of underground rhizomes. The flowers emerge in the late summer to early fall, the plant producing 3-15 or more flower heads in a flat-topped array. Each head contains 8–20 pale blue, purple, or violet ray florets and 15–45 yellow disc florets.[4]
Distribution and habitat

Eurybia avita is present only in the U.S. states of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina,[3] though it is probably extirpated from North Carolina. In South Carolina it is only known from one site in Pickens County, while in Georgia it can be found in 40 to 45 locations. In North Carolina there are currently no known populations. The type location was Stone Mountain, but that population no longer exists. It is typically found between 100 and 500 metre (350–2800 feet) (elevations growing in shallow and sandy soils around the edges of granite flatrock outcroppings.[1][4]
References

NatureServe (2006), "Eurybia avita", NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life, Version 6.1., Arlington, Virginia, archived from the original on 2007-09-29, retrieved 2007-06-13
"Eurybia avita". The Global Compositae Checklist (GCC) – via The Plant List.
"Eurybia avita". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014.
Brouillet, Luc (2006). "Flora of North America". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 20. New York and Oxford – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.