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Taxon  Report  
Almutaster pauciflorus  (Nutt.) Á. Löve & D. Löve
Alkali marsh aster
Almutaster pauciflorus is a perennial herb that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in North America and beyond.
also called Aster pauciflorus
California Rare Plant Rank: 2B.2 (rare, threatened, or endangered in CA; common elsewhere).
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
Observation Search
~27 records in California
yellowone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
DJJJASONAFMM

Bloom Period
Genus: Almutaster
Family: Asteraceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Wetlands: Occurs usually in wetlands, occasionally in non wetlands

Communities: Alkali Sink, wetland-riparian

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + JEF + CNPS + PLANTS + POWO
Alternate Names:
PLANTSAster hydrophilus
JEF + PLANTSAster pauciflorus
Information about  Almutaster pauciflorus from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (ALPA14)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Insect Food Source: The inflorescences are a food source for adult Lepidoptera, although they may not be the principal pollinators. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)

[Wikipedia] Single Species in Genus, Range, Etymology: Almutaster is a North American genus of plants in the family Asteraceae containing the single species Almutaster pauciflorus (formerly Aster pauciflorus), which is known by the common name alkali marsh aster. It is native to Canada (Northwest Territories and the three Prairie Provinces), the Western United States, and northern and central Mexico (as far south as Tlaxcala).[2][3][4][5] The genus is named for botanist Almut Gitter Jones. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2025. The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 05/19/2025).