| Author | Weakley & Govus | |
| Distribution | Mountains only: Clay County, Buck Creek Serpentine Barrens. First noted as a potentially new species in 1981, though not described until 2004.
This species is only known from this one site! | |
| Abundance | Locally frequent to common at this one site, and considered of excellent viability, as the site is on protected and managed (by fire) land (U.S. Forest Service). It is a State Threatened species, and ought to be Federally listed at some point. | |
| Habitat | Open to semi-open serpentine barrens among Pitch Pines (Pinus rigida) and graminoids. |
| Phenology | Flowering and fruiting October-November. | |
| Identification | For affinities and how to tell it from other species, see Kauffman et al. (2004). It may look similar to S. prenanthoides, but leaf bases of that plant encircle the stem (vs. sessile or rather clasping). It grows to several feet tall, with a reddish-purple stem, narrowly elliptical stem leaves, with the lower ones having long and tapering petioles, and an open inflorescence of flowers with lavender to light purple rays. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | Species description is in Kauffman et al. (2004).
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| Other Common Name(s) | Rhiannon's Aster | |
| State Rank | S1 | |
| Global Rank | G1 | |
| State Status | T | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | | |
| USACE-emp | | |
