Plants 50-120 cm. Leaves densely puberulent (more than 12 hairs/mm ² ), abaxially moderately to densely canescent (indument often dense over entire plant). Phyllaries sparsely piloso-villous, sometimes more densely apically . 2n = 18.

Flowering late summer-fall. Moist soils, clearings, thickets, margins of forests and near streams, prairies; 100-500(-700) m; Alta., Man., Ont., Que., Sask.; Ill., Iowa, Mich., Minn., Nebr., N.Dak., Wis.

Disjunct populations of var. pubens are found in Alberta. The indument is often dense over the entire plant. The leaves are moderately to densely canescent abaxially.

Resembling no. 57 [Aster umbellatus Mill.]; stem puberulent; lvs sparsely to usually rather densely puberulent across the surface beneath; invol puberulent, its bracts mostly long-triangular and acute; heads 17-22-fld, the rays 4-7; 2n=18. Moist low places and moist woods; n. Mich. to Neb. and Alta. (A. umbellatus var. pubens; Doellingeria pubens)

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

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