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Purple and Blue Wildflower Gallery

Daisy-like & Thistles

Asteraceae (Compositae) - Sunflower family

Skeleton Weed Lygodesmia texana

Flower about 2" wide.; Plant grows to a little over 1 foot tall. There are 12 ray-flowers in the center that curl, split, and curl again. Stems are stick-like with nearly no leaves.

Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, May 2004, May 2005

(Native of Texas)

Asteraceae (Compositae) - Sunflower family

? Common Name **zb 9** Scientific Name

Flower 1/4"-3/8" wide with very purple ray petals. Morning was very cool, this may be the reason ray petals are curled. Seed head is a sphere, about 1/2" wide. Leaves reminded me of flax. Plant stood about12" tall.

Photos taken in Coleman County, Texas, September 2005

(Native of ?)

see similar   Annual Aster

Hunting Similar Species

possible   Bushy Aster Aster dumosus

Flowers 1/2"-3/4". Plant grows in a mounding bush. Individual stems have small narrow leaves on the branches and long narrow leaves on the main stem.

(Native of Texas, not in this area)

possible   Late Purple Aster Symphyotrichum patens (Aster patens)

Flower up to 1" wide but often smaller. Leaves on branchlets are appressed to the stem. Leaves on the main stem are clasping.

(Native of Texas, Brown)

possible   Western Silver Aster (Silky Aster)  Symphyotrichum sericeum

Purple flowers, 1/4" wide. Leaves are silvery green. Main stem leaves fall off before flowering. Leaves on branchlets remain but are not appressed to the stem.

(Native of Texas, not in this area)

Asteraceae (Compositae) - Sunflower family

Spreading Aster (Late Purple Aster, Sky-drop Aster) Aster patens var. gracilis

Purple flowers are 3/4"-1" wide with a yellow center.  Leaf base wraps around stem.  Red stems.

Photos taken in Van Zandt County, Texas, November 2006

(Native of Texas)

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