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Mississippi National River and Recreation AreaA blue heron wades along one of the shallow lakes of the Mississippi River corridor.
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Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
New England Aster
New England Aster
New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae)

Description: New England aster is a common of wet to wet-mesic prairies.

This is a perennial herb with clustered stems 2-5' high. The plants are often covered with glandular hairs. The lance-shaped leaves are entire and have no stalks. The leafy inflorescence consists of several flowering heads. The flower stalks, and modified leaves subtending the flowers and have hairy glands. Both ray and disc flowers are present. The numerous, slender ray flowers are amethyst to rosy, rarely blue or white in color, while the distinctive disc flowers are yellow to yellow-orange.

Flowers blooms from July to October.


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Itasca, Headwaters of the Mississippi River  

Did You Know?
At Lake Itasca, the river is so shallow, children can walk across the Mississippi. Between Governor Nicholls Wharf and Algiers Point in New Orleans, the Mississippi is more than 200 feet deep.

Last Updated: August 25, 2006 at 09:41 EST