Aster hispidus var. insularis ("Sonarenogiku")

Japanese name: ソナレノギク （磯馴野菊）
Scientific name: Aster hispidus var. insularis

[Overview]
A biennial 0.4–1 m tall, found on coastal cliffs and rocky places.
The stem is thick, branches well from the base, and is almost hairless.
There are basal leaves and stem leaves; the basal leaves are spatulate, 5–10 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, hairy only on the margins, somewhat thick and glossy on the upper surface, with a rounded tip and a base that gradually narrows into a winged petiole, and they have withered by flowering time.
The stem leaves are simple and alternate, numerous, spatulate, 4–7 cm long and 1–1.3 cm wide, with the base gradually narrowing.
The leaf margins are entire or sparsely toothed.
Flower heads are borne at the branch tips, and together form a paniculate to corymbose flower cluster.
The flower heads are 4–4.5 cm across, with pale purple ray florets and yellow tubular florets.
The involucre is dish-shaped, and the involucral bracts are in 2 rows.
The achene is a flattened obovate shape 2.5–3 mm long; the pappus of the tubular florets is about 4 mm long and tinged reddish brown, while the pappus of the ray florets is about 1 mm long and white.

[Notes]
It is said to be endemic to southwestern Shikoku, but similar plants also occur on the coasts of Kyushu, and research is awaited.

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