Hierba del marrano flower head

Yesterday you saw a photograph taken at the pond adjacent to Naruna Dr. in northeast Austin on August 8th and depicting the encounter between two colonies of plants. Here from that session is a closeup showing a flower head of one of those species, Symphyotrichum subulatum, known as baby’s breath aster, annual aster, eastern annual saltmarsh aster, Blackland aster, and hierba del marrano (i.e. pigweed). I estimate that this diminutive flower head, typical of the species, was barely half an inch (1.25 cm) across. In contrast, these much-branched plants can grow to be 5 ft. (1.5 m) tall. They’re reputed to be the most common aster in Texas.

© 2013 Steven Schwartzman