Aster shimadae

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Aster indicus var. lautureanus
• Asteromoea indica var. lautureana
• Asteromoea shimadae
• Kalimeris shimadae

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Asterales, it is classified under the family Asteraceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Aster, with the specific species name being shimadae.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution across several key regions in Asia. Within China, it can be found spanning the South-Central, North-Central, and Southeast territories. Its presence also extends to the island of Taiwan in Eastern Asia. Furthermore, the species is documented within the Indo-China region, specifically in Vietnam. Together, these locations highlight the varied habitats where Aster shimadae thrives.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Aster shimadae is characterized by a perennial lifecycle, allowing the plant to persist through multiple growing seasons. As a perennial species, it avoids the complete die-back seen in annuals, instead focusing its energy on establishing robust root systems or rhizomes that enable survival during unfavorable environmental periods. This long-term survival strategy allows the plant to regrow from its existing structures each year, often leading to an increase in biomass and a more established presence within its specific ecological niche over time. Through its multi-year existence, the plant can undergo successive cycles of vegetative growth and reproductive flowering, contributing to its long-term stability in its natural habitat.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Aster shimadae is characterized by its growth form as a herb, presenting a non-woody structure throughout its vegetative body. As a climbing plant, it exhibits a self-supporting habit, allowing it to navigate its environment without the need for external structural assistance.

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

herb

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Aster shimadae is characterized by specific morphological dimensions of its foliage that reflect its growth patterns and vegetative development. The leaves exhibit a notable range in longitudinal growth, with a minimum length of 2.5 cm and a maximum length reaching up to 4 cm, resulting in an average leaf length of 3.25 cm. Complementing this longitudinal variance is the transverse expansion of the leaf blades, which maintain a minimum width of 1.2 cm and can extend to a maximum width of 2 cm. These precise leaf measurements suggest a controlled surface area optimization, likely contributing to the plant's efficiency in light interception and gas exchange processes essential for its metabolic functions.

Leaf length max:

4 cm

Leaf length mean:

3.25 cm

Leaf length min:

2.5 cm

Leaf width max:

2 cm

Leaf width min:

1.2 cm

Reproduction

The reproduction of Aster shimadae is characterized by the development of small, specialized fruit structures that serve as the primary vehicle for seed dispersal. Morphological analysis of these fruits reveals a highly consistent size range, indicating a stabilized reproductive output within the species. The fruit length exhibits minimal variance, with a measured minimum of 0.25 cm and a maximum of 0.27 cm. This narrow developmental window results in a calculated mean fruit length of 0.26 cm, a metric that reflects the precise evolutionary adaptation of the plant's reproductive organs to its specific ecological niche.

Fruit length max:

0.27 cm

Fruit length mean:

0.26 cm

Fruit length min:

0.25 cm

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Aster shimadae has 1 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Shimadoside A.

Shimadoside A

1. Phytochemistry