Ionactis alpina

Ionactis alpina (formerly Aster scopulorum; common name lava ankle-aster) is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name lava aster. It is native to western United States from California to Montana,^[2] where it grows in dry areas.^[3]

Ionactis alpina
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Ionactis
Species:	I. alpina
Binomial name
Ionactis alpina (Nutt.) Greene 1897
Synonyms[1]
Aster scopulorum A.Gray 1880 Chrysopsis alpina Nutt. 1834 not Aster alpinus L. 1753 Diplopappus alpinus (Nutt.) Nutt. Leucelene alpina (Nutt.) Greene

Description

Ionactis alpina is a perennial herb growing from a caudex and fibrous root system. It produces a short, mostly erect, hairy stem up to 12 centimetres (4+3⁄4 in) in height. Most of the small leaves are on the lower part of the stem. They are up to about 1 cm (3⁄8 in) long, oval to lance-shaped and pointed, somewhat stiff and coated in hairs.^[4]

The inflorescence bears solitary flower heads with purple-green phyllaries, 7–21 thin blue, purple, or occasionally white ray florets surrounding 19–50 long yellow disc florets. The fruit is a hairy achene.^[4]