European Sea Aster

Features
Grows in saline wetlands.

European Sea Aster (Tripolium pannonicum) is an ephemeral annual/biennial herbaceous plant belonging to the genus Tripolium in the Asteraceae (Daisy) family, native to Eurasia and North Africa.

It is also known as Hamashion (ハマシオン, Seashore Aster), Sea Aster, and Seashore Aster.
In Japan, it grows naturally in coastal and inland saline wetlands and brackish mudflats along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Kanto and westward, extending to Shikoku and Kyushu.

The plant height is 30–60 cm (12–24 in), the stem is erect, and the entire plant is hairless (glabrous).
The leaves are glossy, lanceolate with a pointed tip, and arranged alternately.
From August to November, it produces numerous small capitula (flower heads), about 2 cm (0.8 in) in diameter, from a corymb inflorescence. The flower heads consist of purple ray florets and yellow disc florets.
The fruit formed after flowering is an achene, which is flat and oblong-elliptic, about 0.3 cm (0.12 in) long.

Flower Meaning (Flower Language)
"Reminiscence" or "Nostalgia" (追憶).

Category : Detail
Common Name : Ura-giku (ウラギク)
Scientific Name : Tripolium pannonicum
Synonyms : Aster tripolium, Aster pannonicu
Other Names : Hamashion (ハマシオン), Sea Aster, Seashore Aster
Classification : Kingdom: Plantae → Clade: Angiosperms → Clade: Eudicots → Order: Asterales → Family: Asteraceae → Genus: Tripolium
Native Region : Eurasia and North Africa
Japanese Habitat : Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Kanto and westward, Shikoku, and Kyushu
Environment : Grows in coastal and inland saline wetlands and brackish mudflats
Life Cycle : Ephemeral annual/Biennial herb
Entire Plant : Glabrous (hairless)
Plant Height : 30–60 cm
Stem : Erect
Leaf Quality : Glossy
Leaf Shape : Lanceolate with a pointed tip (acute)
Blooming Period : August–November
Inflorescence Type : Corymb
Corolla Type : Capitulum (Flower head)
Flower Head Colors : Purple (Ray florets), Yellow (Disc florets)
Flower Head Diameter : 2 cm
Fruit Type : Achene
Fruit Length : 0.3 cm
Fruit Shape : Flat oblong-elliptic

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