David Albeck's Photos of Asterids

One of the large unranked clades (larger than an order) of dicots, Asterids include, naturally, the Aster family, but also some rather un-aster-like families such as morning glories and rhododendrons.

Daisy order (Asterales)

Asters, daisies, and bellflowers.

Please click through to the Asterales page

Please click through to the Asterales page

Dogwood Order (Cornales)

This order has showy bracts that look like petals. The tiny true flowers are clustered at the center of the bracts.

Dogwood family (Cornaceae)

Best known for bright-red, edible berries

Bunchberry
Cornus canadensis

Pitchoff Mtn.

Bunchberry
Cornus canadensis

Mt. Adams

Bunchberry
Cornus canadensis

Mt. Jefferson

bunchberry

July 4, 2008

Bunchberry

Baldface Range

Bunchberry

Mt Moosilauke

Hydrangea Family

Hydrangea aspera

Jardin Botanique

Hydrangea aspera

Jardin Botanique

Hydrangea macrophylla

Breton Life

Hydrangea macrophylla

Breton Life

Teasel Order (Dipsacales)

Adoxa Family (Adoxaceae)

Recently recognized as distinct from the honeysuckle family.

Hobblebush
(Viburnum lantanoides)

Kearsarge South

Hobblebush
(Viburnum lantanoides)

Pack Monadnock

Hobblebush
(Viburnum lantanoides)

Mt Cardigan

Hobblebush
(Viburnum lantanoides)

Mt Chocorua

Hobblebush
(Viburnum lantanoides)

Mt Chocorua

Hobblebush
(Viburnum lantanoides)

Mt Madison

Hobblebush
(Viburnum lantanoides)

Mt Madison

Hobblebush

Moat Mountain

Hobblebush
(Viburnum lantanoides)

Mt Madison

Hobblebush
(Viburnum lantanoides)

Mt Madison

Honeysuckle Family (Caprifoliaceae)

This family includes honeysuckle, teasel, and valerian.

Dipsacus sp.

Porolissum

Teasel
Dipsacus sp.

Porolissum

Teasel, Dipsacus sp.

Cârţa

Teasel, Dipsacus sp.

Cârţa

Heath order (Ericales)

Balsam Family (Balsaminaceae)

A family consisting almost entirely of the genus Impatiens, commonly known as Jewelweed.

Impatiens sp.

Cârţa

Jewelweed
Impatiens sp.

Feldioara

Jewelweed

Local Strolls

Diapensia Family (Diapensiaceae)

A family of alpine plants thought to have originated in the Himalaya, with only one species present in North America.

Diapensia lapponica

Lincoln & Lafayette

Diapensia lapponica

Mt. Adams

Diapensia lapponica

Mt. Adams

Diapensia lapponica

Mt. Jefferson

Diapensia lapponica

Mt. Jefferson

Diapensia lapponica

Presidential Range

Heath Family (Ericaceae)

A group of woody plants with oval leaves, often evergreen. Includes the cranberry and its many relatives (blueberry, bearberry, etc) and also the rhododendron. Biologists were a bit surprised to discover that Indian Pipe is also a member.

Subfamily Ericoideae

Rhododendrons and close relatives

Genus Epigaea

Only one species in the Northeastern US: Trailing Arbutus, also known as Mayflower. Supposedly, this plant was encountered at Plymouth Rock by passengers on the ship "Mayflower" (named for an unrelated flower), but it's worth remembering that the landing happened in November.

Trailing Arbutus
Epigaea repens

Conway

Trailing Arbutus

Conway

Trailing Arbutus
Epigaea repens

Moat Mountain

Genus Kalmia

Laurels

Kalmia procumbens

Mt. Adams

Mountain-laurel,
Kalmia latifolia

Garden in the Woods

Sheep Laurel,
Kalmia angustifolia

The Pinnacle

Genus Phyllodoce

Mountain-Heather

Pink Mountain Heather,
Phyllodoce empetriformis

Mt Dickerman

Genus Rhododendron

Members of this genus are commonly known as Rhododendron, Rhodora, Azalea, or Rosebay

Lapland Rosebay,
Rhododendron lapponicum

Mt. Adams

Lapland Rosebay,
Rhododendron lapponicum

Presidential Range

Rhododendron

Garden in the Woods

Rhododendron

May Flowers

Azalea

Lilac Sunday

azalea

Middlesex Fells

azalea

Middlesex Fells

Rhodora

Kearsarge South

Rhodora

Presidential Range

Rhodora

Baldface Range

Subfamily Monotropoidae

Indian Pipe and close relatives

Pine-drops, Pterospora andromedea

Beehive Mtn

Pine-drops, Pterospora andromedea

Mt Dickerman

indian pipe

(no album)

Shinleaf, Pyrola elliptica

Rattlesnake Mountain

Subfamily Vaccinioidae

Blueberries and close relatives

Mountain Cranberry
Vaccinium vitis-idaea

Lincoln & Lafayette

Highbush blueberry
Vaccinium corymbosum

Blue Hills

Blueberry

Mt Abraham

leatherleaf
Chamaedaphne calyculata

Ponkapoag

American Pitcher Plants (Sarraceniaceae)

Easy to identify by their carnivorous leaves; they also have very odd flowers. The flowers below are missing their petals (you can see one in the background of the last shot)

Sarracenia Purpurea

Mt Chocorua, April 2010

Sarracenia

Garden in the Woods

Sarracenia

Garden in the Woods

Sarracenia

Garden in the Woods

Sarracenia

Garden in the Woods

Other Ericales

Starflower, Trientalis borealis

Blue Hills

Starflower
Trientalis borealis

Blue Hills

Primula denticulata

Shelburne Falls

Chimaphila maculata

Robins

Gentian Order (Gentianales)

Plumeria sp.

Turks & Caicos

Periwinkle
Vinca minor

Prospect Hill

Tropical Milkweed
Asclepias curassavica.

Gumbo Limbo

Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca.

Middlesex Fells

Spreading Dogbane
Apocynum androsaemifolium

July 4th, 2008

Madder family (Rubiaceae)

bluets

Mt Madison

bluets

Spaulding Mtn

bluets

July 4, 2008

Mint Order (Lamiales)

Mint family (Lamiaceae)

Salvia pratense

Porolissum

Salvia pratense

Porolissum

Salvia pratense

Porolissum

Olive family (Oleaceae)

Indet.

Lilac Sunday

lilac

Lilac Sunday

lilac

May Flowers

lilac

May Flowers

Broomrape family (Orobanchaceae)

Naked Broomrape,
Orobanche uniflora

(no album)

Castilleja

Angel's Landing

Castilleja

South Sister

Plantain family (Plantaginaceae)

Linaria vulgaris

Porolissum

Linaria vulgaris

Porolissum

Linaria vulgaris

Local Pond

penstemon

Mt Bachelor

penstemon

South Sister

penstemon

Garden in the Woods

snapdragon

Butterfly Place

Turtlehead
Chelone glabra

Mt Moosilauke

Other Lamiales

Odontonema cuspidatum

Gumbo Limbo

Paulownia

Lilac Sunday

Paulownia

Lilac Sunday

mimulus

South Sister

Nightshade Order (Solanales)

Members of this order are frequently poisonous.

Nightshade family

Includes tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplants, but also deadly nightshade.

Unidentified

Jardin Botanique

Brugmansia sanguinea

Warmiwanuska

Angel's Trumpet
Brugmansia sp.

Machu Picchu

Nightshade

Local Strolls

Morning Glory family (Convulvulaceae)

Vines with a distinctive trumpet-shaped flower.

Morning-Glory

Puerto Rico

morning-glory

Chandler's Pond

morning glory

Yet More Pond Life

morning-glory

Chandler's Pond

Other Asterids

Forget-Me-Not
Myosotis sp.

Vânătarea lui Buteanu

phacelia

South Sister

Wild Sarsaparilla
Aralia nudicaulis

Blue Hills

Aphelandra aurantiaca

Botanic Garden

Calceolaria sp.

Winaywayna

Polemonium

South Sister

phlox

Front Garden