About Symphyotrichum chilense (Nees) G.L.Nesom
Symphyotrichum chilense is a rhizomatous perennial herbaceous plant. It grows between 40 and 120 centimeters (1 1/4 and 4 feet) tall. Its leaves are sparsely hairy, narrowly oval and pointed, and sometimes have fine serrations along their edges. The inflorescence holds flower heads that bloom from June to October. Each flower head has 35 to 60 or more yellow disk florets at its center, surrounded by 15 to 40 narrow violet ray florets. The fruit is a rounded, hairy cypsela seed with pappi. This species, commonly called Pacific aster, is native to the Pacific west coast of North America, occurring in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California (including Southern California and the Channel Islands). Contrary to what its scientific name suggests, it does not grow in Chile. It inhabits coastal environments including salt marshes, ocean dunes, ocean banks, grasslands, and coniferous forests, and is found at elevations between 0 and 500 meters (0 to 1,600 feet).
