August 2020 – Guess That Plant
This is the FNJP’s 113th edition of Guess that Plant!
The August 2020 Guess that Plant photo is native rush found on the Coastal Plain. Do you know this species by it color and shape? If so, send your answer for this month’s Guess that Plant.
July’s Plant:
Symphyotrichum tenuifolium (L.) G.L. Nesom, Perennial Salt-mash Aster
The July 2020 Guess that Plant is a native composite from the harsh environment of the salt marsh. This species is one of the very few native New Jersey plants that can tolerate the saturated anaerobic silt and organic sediments, the daily rise and fall of the tide, and the presence of salt. Most vascular plants are sensitive to the smallest amount of saline water, but this and other salt marsh species have adapted. Our monthly species is one of two North American asters found on New Jersey’s salt marshes. Symphyotrichum tenuifolium is perennial, with a somewhat lax habit, narrow fibrous stem, very narrow leaves, and single flowers at the tips of branches. Its occasional companion, Symphyotrichum subulatum, is an upright, fleshy annual with broader leaves and flowers arranged in clusters. Both species flower in late summer and early autumn.
JRA 8/2020
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