Aster occidentalis, otherwise known as Western Mountain Aster, is a member of the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family. The literal Latin translation is a star
(aster) from the west
(occidentalis).
Western Mountain Aster is a perennial dicot native to the United States and is equally likely to occur in wetland or non-wetland regions of the nation as depicted below.
The variety of
Utah terrain falls into six climatic zones and more than 4,000 species of plants cover the land. Fields of wild flowers explode with color from April to September, including the
Western Mountain Aster.
Habitat: Moist habitats, 4000'-10000', montane coniferous forest. Blooming period: July to
September. In Utah, this species
elevation range is 1,660 to 3,270 meters and is found throughout the state as indicated on the map
below:
Aster occidentalis serves as a host plant to the species of butterfly
Chlosyne palla, or more commonly referred to as the Northern Checkerspot.
A preparatory text would state that a sunflower such as Aster occidentalis is actually a bouquet of several flowers. The outer violet petals are ray florets (small flowers) which happen to be sterile, however, they serve to attract pollinators such as bees. The innermost area consists of disk florets. Male pollen-bearing flowers are at the bulls-eye of the target pattern and the female seed-producing flowers form a circle around this. Since the aster is not a single flower but, in fact, consists of numerous flowers, it is referred to as a
'compound inflorescence'.