Corethrogyne filaginifolia

Identification

Description

California Aster, the original common name was California Corethrogyne. (Lessingia filaginifolia, Aster filaginifolia, Aster tomentellius, Aplopappus haenkei, Corethrogyne tomentella, Corethrogyne filaginifolia tomentillia, Corethrogyne californica tomentellus) Corethrogyne is a compact to leggy perennial, depending upon cultural conditions, and genetic constitution, somewhat suffrutescent near base of plant, with one-inch wide, pretty, violet flowers with yellow centers, mostly summer deciduous after flowering. In english, a perennial daisy with violet flowers (in the summer California Aster looks scraggly if too dry). Gabbs Checkerspot butterfly larvae utilizes this species for food and a host of butterflies from skippers to Swallowtails use the nectar. (Whoa some typos are funny, had typed in buttflies, somehow I do not think it will sell many of these plants those. "Honey come look at all these buttflies on the little perennial along the drive". More like "Honey, the neighbors are going to start complaining about the buttflies.") Oh well, if you have a dry garden plan to place this species in a spot where its semi-deciduous condition will not be noticed in the drought season. This is a VERY tough perennial. The only area we've not seen it is the desert. California aster occurs from coastal bluffs up into the upper elevations of the mountains of central and southern California. There are about ten different forms and varieties of the species. All are recognizable as a California aster, figuring out which scientific name is more of a problem as Jepson manual is the only text that we could find Lessingia in, all the older keys and surrounding keys(including newer ones) call it Corethrogyne.

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