Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 7, 2026

Doellingeria

Doellingeria is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It contains species formerly included in Aster but now considered to be a distinct genus. They are known commonly as tall flat-topped asters or whitetops.

Last revised
Jun 7, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
414 w
Citations
10
Source
Doellingeria
Doellingeria umbellata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Asteroideae
Tribe: Astereae
Subtribe: Doellingeriinae
Genus: Doellingeria
Nees
Synonyms1
  • Aster subg. Doellingeria (Nees) A.Gray
  • Aster sect. Doellingeria (Nees) Kitam.

Doellingeria is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae.2 It contains species formerly included in Aster but now considered to be a distinct genus. They are known commonly as tall flat-topped asters3 or whitetops.4

There is still some disagreement as to which species should be included in Doellingeria. Some authorities include up to 105 or 11 species in Doellingeria, but phylogenetic analyses suggest that any Asian plants in the genus should be classified in Aster, making Doellengeria an endemic North American genus.6 A fourth is now treated as Oclemena reticulata.3

Doellingeria as it is now defined is a genus of perennial herbs growing from rhizomes or woody bases. The unbranched stems grow erect and the tallest can reach 200 cm (79 in) in height. The alternately arranged leaves have smooth edges and are sometimes woolly or rough-haired. The flower heads are a few millimeters long and contain 2 to 10 white ray florets, sometimes more. The disc florets are light yellow and the lobes at the tips may spread or curl. The fruit is a cypsela with a pappus of three rings of white or tan bristles and an outer ring of scales.3

Species78
References

References

  1. Tropicos, Doellingeria Nees
  2. Greuter, W. (2006+). Doellingeria. In: Greuter, W. & E. von Raab-Straube. (eds.). Compositae. Euro+Med Plantbase.
  3. Doellingeria. Flora of North America.
  4. Doellingeria. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
  5. Doellingeria. The Plant List.
  6. Li, W. P., et al. (2012). Phylogenetic relationships and generic delimitation of Eurasian Aster (Asteraceae: Astereae) inferred from ITS, ETS and trnL-F sequence data. Annals of Botany 109(7), 1341-57.
  7. The Plant List search for Doellingeria
  8. Biota of North America Program 2013 county distribution maps