unknown Aster sp ?

[zephirine]

This plant was received as a gift by a friend (a nurseryman actually), as "Aster sp."
In spite of numerous requests to various perennial specialists, we have not been able to identify it so far.
It is not exactly a rock garden plant, as it easily reaches 80 cm high, but I hope that with all the horticultural knowledge in this forum, someone will be able to help...
It usually blooms in September, though this year, like many others, it has started to bloom by mid-july, due to the very cool weather we had since end June.

[fermi de Sousa]

Have a look at this Thread, Zephirine,: http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=7662.0
cheers
fermi

[zephirine]

I had seen this thread, Fermi, but decided my plant disn't look like a Felicia (in my eyes!) , this is why I started another thread, while you are all bent on Asteraceae: I jumped in the moving train !

[Lesley Cox]

In one of the references to Felecia, it was said that one of them (maybe amelloides), doesn't close at night but that the rays recurve outwards and under. That is true of all the Felecias I've grown, only about 4, but maybe it applies to the whole genus in which case it shouldn't be difficult to rule out Felecia for this plant and for Mark's.

[zephirine]

I don't grow any Felicia here, Lesley, but I've also seen them recurved, while my plant never does.
As for Boltonia, I only grow B. asteroides nana, and once grew the pink form of B. asteroides (a very loose, not very interesting plant, IMHO). They also have a different blooming habit: blooming first in early summer, then sending out new blooms later, about half the height of the first ones, even without deadheading the earlier ones.
My unknown plant usually blooms late august/ early september and lasts for a long time during the fall.
I still think it should be some sort of Aster, just as the original sticker said, but which one? That is the question... 

[Lvandelft]

Zephirine, this could be the Aster which used to be in the trade here in the low lands under the name Aster macrophyllus Twilight.
But i saw it too long ago to be sure.....