Aster incisus


Aster incisus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the Eastern Asia; Chita Oblast in Siberia, the southern Russian Far East, Inner Mongolia, Manchuria, the Korean peninsula, and Japan.

Description

Aster incisus is a herbaceous perennial, growing to a height of 30 to 120 cm, with a spread of approximately 50 cm. Stems are erect, glabrous, and branched in the upper part. Leaves are lanceolate, alternating along the stem. The Latin name refers to the toothed or incised appearance of the leaves.
Flowers are stellate, with ray florets pink to bluish-purple in colour, and disk florets yellow. Flowers appear from June to October. The fruit is an achene. Achenes are brownish, ovoid, measuring 3 - 3.5 mm.
It can take two to five years for a plant to reach maturity. Over time a group of plants will spread to form a colony.

Subtaxa

The following varieties are accepted:
  • Aster incisus var. incisus
  • Aster incisus var. ''macrodon''

Habitat

It prefers meadows and lowlands.

Medicinal use

A. incisa has been used in Korean traditional medicine. Research in Korea indicates that A. incisa has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and may potentially be useful in treating several types of cancer.