Callistephus Cass.

	Callistephus chinensis Matsumoto series: stem

China aster, matsumoto, aster matsumoto, aster spider

China aster

Callistephus chinensis (L.) Nees (genus of only one species)
Over 100 cultivars; the Matsumoto series is one of the most commonly produced.

China.

Fuzzy stems bearing alternate, coarsely toothed, spatulate leaves to 8 cm long, with leaf bases decurrent to the stem; flowers (florets) in radiate heads 4-13 cm across; head subtended by non-imbricate involucre composed of green, often reflexed, leaflike outer phyllaries and an inner row of small, scarious phyllaries; ray florets carpellate; pappus 2 rows of barbed bristles.

Heads usually solitary, less often in sprays; disc florets yellow, ray florets mostly purple, violet-blue, crimson, pink, or white, occasionally yellow; head form highly variable: single to fully double, ray florets flat, or incurved, reflexed, quilled, or partly quilled.

Aster, Calendula, Dendranthema

Although Callistephus is commonly called Aster in the floral trade, Callistephus is an annual and is separate from Aster, which is perennial. Also, the phyllaries are all similar in Aster, whereas in Callistephus they differ.

Zimbabwe, Uganda.