Fringed Aster
nêhiyawêwin (Cree): mistaskewusk, amowusk ("bee plant") <br/> Latin: <i>Symphyotrichum ciliolatum</i> <br/> Lindley's aster
(Banner image) USask [CC BY-SA]
Fringed Aster has purple flowers. It's easily confused with Smooth Aster, which also has purple flowers. The Fringed Aster's flowers are more sparse, and the leaves are different. Fringed Aster's leaves have a more jagged shape.
Like Fringed Aster, other members of the Aster family include Black-Eyed Susan, Chamomile, Coneflower, Goldenrod, Ox-eye daisy, Sage, Smooth Aster, and Yarrow.
Medicine
Pinkeye has been treated by making tea from the scented roots (Marles, p. 123).
The roots can be ground and applied to cuts to stop bleeding (Métis Elder and Anderson, published in Marles et al, p. 123).
References
(Banner image) "Fringed aster in the traditional garden". University of Saskatchewan. [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]
"Lindley's Aster". (n.d.) Retrieved from University of Alberta Indigenous Teaching & Learning Gardens website: https://sites.google.com/a/ualberta.ca/our-garden/our-plants/lindley-s-aster
Marles, R., Clavelle, C., Monteleone, L., Tays, N., and Burns, D. (2012). Aboriginal Plant Use in Canada's Northwest Boreal Forest. Edmonton, AB: Natural Resources Canada.
Métis Elder, Elizabeth Métis Settlement, Alberta. Interviewed 1994, published in Marles et al., 2012.
Walter Muma. Fringed Blue Aster. (n.d.) Retrieved from Ontario Wildflowers website: http://ontariowildflowers.com/main/species.php?id=8
