#plant taxonomy

• Aster novi-belgii — The scientific name of the New York aster (or New Belgium aster), a perennial herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae family, native to eastern North America; it is one of the most widely cultivated autumn ornamental species, characterized by smooth or weakly pubescent stems, thin lanceolate leaves, and a colossal abundance of blue, violet, pink, or white flower heads.
• Aster tripolium — The scientific name of the sea aster, a perennial or biennial herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae family, native to the coastal areas of Europe and continental saline regions of Eurasia; it is a halophytic (salt-tolerant) plant, unique in its genus for its fleshy, succulent leaves and flower heads with pale blue or lilac rays and a yellow central disc, modernly classified under the genus Tripolium.
• Aster x frikartii — The scientific name of a famous perennial garden hybrid aster, obtained by crossing Aster amellus and Aster thomsonii by the Swiss nurseryman Frikart in 1918; it is globally renowned in landscape design for its exceptionally long blooming period (from July to October) and large, bright lavender-blue flower heads featuring a prominent central yellow disc.
• Aster yunnanensis — The scientific name of the Yunnan aster, a perennial herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae family, native to alpine meadows and forest edges in southwest China (especially Yunnan province); it is characterized by large, solitary flower heads with a bright golden-yellow central disc and long, thin ray florets in shades of lilac-blue or intense violet, globally cultivated as a hardy ornamental plant for rock gardens.
• Asteroides — A specific epithet used in Latin binomial nomenclature to describe a plant, organism, or anatomical structure that exhibits a shape or appearance resembling a star or the plants of the Aster genus; it is formed by combining the Greek root 'aster' with the suffix of resemblance '-oides'.
• Asteriscus maritimus — The scientific name of the gold coin aster (or sea daisy, recently reclassified as Pallenis maritima), a low-growing, mat-forming perennial plant in the Artsaceae family, native to the Mediterranean region; it is widely cultivated as an ornamental groundcover due to its bright golden-yellow flowers and outstanding resistance to salinity, maritime winds, and extreme drought.
• Astilbe chinensis — The scientific name of the Chinese astilbe, a perennial herbaceous plant in the Saxifragaceae family, native to damp forests, valleys, and forest edges in China, Japan, Korea, and Eastern Russia; it is extensively cultivated as an ornamental shade plant, recognized by its vigorous creeping rhizomes, deeply divided leaves with serrate margins, and dense, narrow, fluffy plume-like panicles colored in shades of rose-lilac, purple, or white, featuring a higher drought tolerance than other members of the genus.
• Astilbe davidii — The scientific name of David's astilbe (taxonomically considered a synonym or a tall variety within the Astilbe chinensis complex, e.g., Astilbe chinensis var. davidii), a perennial herbaceous plant in the Saxifragaceae family, native to northern and central China; it is characterized by a vigorous and tall habit (often reaching 1.5 to 2 meters), long flowering stems covered with brown hairs, and large, branched panicles with bright pink-purple flowers.
• Astilbe japonica — The scientific name of the Japanese astilbe, a perennial herbaceous plant in the Saxifragaceae family, native to mountain forests and damp rocky areas in Japan; it is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant, characterized by erect, medium-tall stems, glossy pinnate leaves with reddish stalks, and dense, pyramidal, plume-like panicles with white or pale pink flowers that open in early summer.
• Astilbe rivularis — The scientific name of the river astilbe (or brook astilbe), a massive perennial herbaceous plant in the Saxifragaceae family, native to the damp mountainous regions of the Himalayas, China, and India; it stands out due to its imposing dimensions (stems of 1.5 to 2.5 meters), large compound leaves with yellowish-brown hairs on the petiole, and long, arching or pendulous panicles with greenish-yellow, cream, or white flowers.
• Astragalus angustifolius — A specific species of perennial plant within the Astragalus genus, structurally characterized by narrow, linear leaflets and spiny shoots that form dense, compact, cushion-like mounds. It is a xerophytic plant perfectly adapted to rocky, calcareous soils and arid climates, natively found in high mountain zones of Southeastern Europe and Asia Minor.
• Astragalus australis — A species of herbaceous perennial plant in the Astragalus genus, Fabaceae family, commonly known as alpine milkvetch, distributed across subarctic and high alpine regions of the Northern Hemisphere (Europe, Asia, and North America). This structural plant features partly decumbent stems, pinnate leaves with elliptic leaflets, and short racemes of whitish or pale blue flowers, adapted to calcareous soils, mountain gravels, and eroded slopes in the alpine zone.
• Astragalus monspessulanus — A species of herbaceous perennial plant in the Astragalus genus, Fabaceae family, commonly known as Montpellier milkvetch, native to the Mediterranean region and Southern Europe. The plant develops as a low rosette, lacking long aerial stems, and features densely silky, imparipinnate leaves alongside erect floral stalks supporting racemes of bright purple, pink, or violet flowers, perfectly adapted to dry grasslands, rocky areas, and sunny hills.
• Astrantia minor — A smaller species of herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the Astrantia genus within the Apiaceae family, native to the high mountain regions of Southwestern and Central Europe (especially the Alps and Pyrenees). It is structurally characterized by leaves deeply divided into 7-9 narrow lobes and delicate, small floral umbels surrounded by white or greenish involucral bracts, adapted to siliceous soils and shaded screes.