aster

aster-

(word root) starExamples of words with the root aster-: asteroid

as·ter

A0480800 (ăs′tər)n.1. Any of various plants of the genus Aster or closely related genera in the composite family, having radiate flower heads with white, pink, or violet rays and usually a yellow disk.2. The China aster.3. Biology A star-shaped structure formed in the cytoplasm of an animal cell during mitosis, having raylike microtubules that surround the centrosome.

[Latin astēr, a type of plant, from Greek, star, type of daisy; see ster- in Indo-European roots.]

aster

(ˈæstə) n1. (Plants) any plant of the genus Aster, having white, blue, purple, or pink daisy-like flowers: family Asteraceae (composites). Compare golden aster2. (Plants) China aster a related Chinese plant, Callistephus chinensis, widely cultivated for its showy brightly coloured flowers3. (Biology) cytology a group of radiating microtubules that surrounds the centrosome before and during mitosis[C18: from New Latin, from Latin aster star, from Greek]

as•ter

(ˈæs tər)

n. 1. any composite plant of the genus Aster, having rays varying from white or pink to blue around a yellow disk. 2. a plant of some allied genus, as the China aster. 3. a structure formed in a cell during mitosis, composed of astral rays radiating about the centrosome. [1595–1605; < Latin < Greek astḗr star]

-aster¹

, a suffix used to form nouns denoting something that imperfectly resembles or mimics the true thing: criticaster; poetaster. [< Latin]

-aster²

, a combining form with the meaning “star”: cotoneaster.[< Greek astḗr star; compare astro-]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	aster - any of various chiefly fall-blooming herbs of the genus Aster with showy daisylike flowersflower - a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossomsgenus Aster - large genus of herbs widely cultivated for their daisylike flowerswood aster - any of several asters of eastern North America usually growing in woodsAster acuminatus, whorled aster - North American perennial with apparently whorled leaves and showy white purple-tinged flowersAster arenosus, heath aster - common North American perennial with heathlike foliage and small white flower headsAster dumosus, bushy aster - stiff perennial of the eastern United States having small linear leaves and numerous tiny white flower headsAster ericoides, heath aster - common much-branched North American perennial with heathlike foliage and small starry white flowersAster falcatus, white prairie aster - perennial of western North America having white flowersAster linarifolius, stiff aster - wiry tufted perennial of the eastern United States with stiff erect rough stems, linear leaves and large violet flowersAster linosyris, goldilocks, goldilocks aster, Linosyris vulgaris - early-flowering perennial of southern and southeastern Europe with flower heads resembling those of goldenrodAster novae-angliae, New England aster - common perennial of eastern North America having showy purplish flowers; a parent of the Michaelmas daisyAster novi-belgii, Michaelmas daisy, New York aster - North American perennial herb having small autumn-blooming purple or pink or white flowers; widely naturalized in EuropeAster ptarmicoides, upland white aster - tufted rigid North American perennial with loose clusters of white flowersAster shortii, Short's aster - perennial of southeastern United States having usually blue flowersAster tripolium, sea aster, sea starwort - a common European aster that grows in salt marshesAster turbinellis, prairie aster - violet-flowered perennial aster of central United States having solitary headsannual salt-marsh aster - a variety of asteraromatic aster - a variety of asterarrow leaved aster - a variety of asterazure aster - a variety of asterbog aster - a variety of astercrooked-stemmed aster - a variety of asterEastern silvery aster - a variety of asterflat-topped white aster - a variety of asterlate purple aster - a variety of asterpanicled aster - a variety of asterperennial salt marsh aster - a variety of asterpurple-stemmed aster - a variety of asterrough-leaved aster - a variety of asterrush aster - a variety of asterSchreiber's aster - a variety of astersmall white aster - a variety of astersmooth aster - a variety of astersouthern aster - a variety of astercalico aster, starved aster - a variety of astertradescant's aster - a variety of asterwavy-leaved aster - a variety of asterWestern silvery aster - a variety of asterwillow aster - a variety of aster
	2.	aster - star-shaped structure formed in the cytoplasm of a cell having fibers like rays that surround the centrosome during mitosisanatomical structure, bodily structure, body structure, complex body part, structure - a particular complex anatomical part of a living thing; "he has good bone structure"

Translations

Asterastro

aster

[Gr.,=star], common name for the Asteraceae (Compositae), the aster family, in North America, name for plants of the genus Aster, sometimes called wild asters, and for a related plant more correctly called China aster (Callistephus chinensis), all members of the family Asteraceae (aster or composite family). Asterceae is one of the largest families of vascular plants, totaling an estimated 1,150 genera and perhaps 25,000 species. They are distributed over most of the earth and in almost all habitats and climates. North American genera number about 230, of which 20 are believed to be naturalized from Europe. The greatest number of composites are herbaceous. In the typical composite flower (e.g., the sunflower), what appears to be a single flower is actually a head of many small flowers. Petallike flowers of the outer ring are called ray flowers, and are often only pistillate. The central portion of the head is composed of disk flowers, minute tubular florets nearly always containing both stamens and pistils. The entire composite head is supported by a series of bracts (modified leaves), which arise from the base of the flower stalk and are collectively termed the involucre. The fruitsfruit,
matured ovary of the pistil of a flower, containing the seed. After the egg nucleus, or ovum, has been fertilized (see fertilization) and the embryo plantlet begins to form, the surrounding ovule (see pistil) develops into a seed and the ovary wall (pericarp) around the
..... Click the link for more information. of asters are known as achenes. The family includes many common weeds and wildflowers. A few species are used for food, usually as salad plants—e.g., lettuce, endive and chicory; the artichoke and lettuce are the only commercial table vegetables and safflower is a source of oil. Many composites have been used in medicinal preparations. The family is most valuable for its well-known and numerous cultivated ornamentals such as asters, daisies, chrysanthemums, marigolds, and zinnias. In North America, where most species are native, plants of the genus Aster are regarded as wildflowers, but in Europe they are cultivated as garden flowers and often called Michaelmas daisy (they usually bloom at Michaelmas). Most species of Aster are perennial and fall-blooming. They have small, daisylike or starlike flower heads on leafy, often tall, stems. Their colors vary from white to pink, blue, and purple. Among the more showy native species cultivated in North American gardens are the purple New England aster (A. novae-angliae) and the violet or blue New York aster (A. novi-belgii). The China aster is the common aster of florists and flower gardens. It is an Asian plant that in cultivation has a very full head of ray flowers, varying from white and pink to deep purple. Other related genera with similar flowers are sometimes called asters, e.g., the golden asters (Chrysopsis). Asters are classified in the division MagnoliophytaMagnoliophyta
, division of the plant kingdom consisting of those organisms commonly called the flowering plants, or angiosperms. The angiosperms have leaves, stems, and roots, and vascular, or conducting, tissue (xylem and phloem).
..... Click the link for more information. , class Magnoliopsida, order Asterales.

Aster

the name of two genera of plants, Aster and Callistephus, of the aster family (Compositae). The only species of the Callistephus genus is the so-called China or annual aster (C. chinensis), an annual with large individual anthodia of blossoms. It grows wild in China and Japan and is the ancestor of the decorative annual double and single asters.

About 4,000 varieties of cultivated asters are known, differing in the form of their blossom clusters, the hues of the ligulate and tubular florets of their flowers, and the height and branching of the whole plant. Annual asters are divided into more than 40 groups according to the form of their flowers and blossom clusters. The most common are the pompon, rose-flowered, peony-flowered, Comet, Ostrich Plume, Victoria, American Beauty, and California varieties. The plants vary in height from low (15–25 cm), used for borders, and medium (30–50 cm) to high (60–80 cm), useful for planting on lawns and for cutting. Cut plants last in water for ten to 20 days. In the temperate zone of the USSR annual asters are grown outdoors by transplanting seedlings or sowing seeds in open ground.

Plants of the genus Aster are perennial grasses with alternate leaves. The flowers occur in anthodia gathered into racemes or corymbs, or more rarely occurring singly. About 200 species are known, found mainly in North America but also in South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. In the USSR there are about 30 species, found from the tundra to the steppe zone in meadows, steppes, and sunny, leafy forests, as well as in the mountains in Alpine meadows. Many writers divide the genus Aster into a number of independent genera. Cultivated plants include the Alpine aster (A. alpinus), grown in the Altai and the Caucasus, and the European aster (A. amellus), grown in the central southern zones of the European USSR, the Caucasus, and Western Siberia. The majority of garden varieties of perennial aster have branching, upright bushes from 20 to 150 cm high (depending on species and variety). The flower anthodia of most varieties are single, and their ligulate blossoms are lilac-colored, white, pink, red, or bluish; the tubular blossoms are usually yellow, and more rarely (in the double varieties) the same colors as the marginal ones. There are early-blooming asters (from late May to early June), midsummer asters (July to August), and late-blooming asters (late August to late October). Perennial asters are highly resistant to cold, tolerating temperatures of 4–7° C. Asters are planted in both homogeneous and mixed beds. The short varieties are used in borders, and the tall varieties are planted around decorative shrubbery or used for cutting. They are propagated by the dividing of bushes, as well as from sprouts, grafts, and seeds.

REFERENCE

Stroganova, T. P. Astry, 2nd ed. Moscow, 1960.

N. A. BAZILEVSKAIA

aster

[′as·tər] (botany) Any of the herbaceous ornamental plants of the genus Aster belonging to the family Compositae. (cell and molecular biology) The star-shaped structure that encloses the centrosome at the end of the spindle during mitosis.

aster

1. any plant of the genus Aster, having white, blue, purple, or pink daisy-like flowers: family Asteraceae (composites) 2. China aster a related Chinese plant, Callistephus chinensis, widely cultivated for its showy brightly coloured flowers 3. Cytology a group of radiating microtubules that surrounds the centrosome before and during mitosis

aster

aster-

as·ter

aster

as•ter

-aster¹

-aster²

aster

aster

Aster

REFERENCE

aster

aster

aster

aster

as·tro·sphere

aster

as·tro·sphere

aster

ASTER

aster

Words related to aster

noun any of various chiefly fall-blooming herbs of the genus Aster with showy daisylike flowers

Related Words

noun star-shaped structure formed in the cytoplasm of a cell having fibers like rays that surround the centrosome during mitosis

Related Words

aster

aster-

as·ter

aster

as•ter

-aster1

-aster2

aster

aster

Aster

REFERENCE

aster

aster

aster

aster

as·tro·sphere

aster

as·tro·sphere

aster

ASTER

aster

Words related to aster

noun any of various chiefly fall-blooming herbs of the genus Aster with showy daisylike flowers

Related Words

noun star-shaped structure formed in the cytoplasm of a cell having fibers like rays that surround the centrosome during mitosis

Related Words

-aster¹

-aster²