Table 5.
Comparative distinguishing characteristics of two Aster species.
| Parameters | Distinctive features | Aster flaccidus | Aster diplostephioides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecological | Sowa Rigpa name (local name) | lug-mig | a-byag-g.zer-‘joms |
| Habitat | Sandy slopes, grasslands, pastures, meadows, thickets, screes, and fallow fields | Scrubland, marshy areas, riverine, and floodplains | |
| Distribution within Bhutan | Thimphu (Lingzhi), Paro (upper Paro Chu-Gafoo La), Bumthang (Marlung), and Gasa | Thimphu (Lingzhi), Bumthang, Gasa, Haa, and Punakha | |
| Altitude | 3750−5025 masl | 3500−4200 masl | |
| Morphological | Plant height | 3−30 (−40) cm | 13−57 cm |
| Rhizome | Long and slender | Robust and branched | |
| Stem types | Glandular (5−15 cm) | Scapiform (15−40 cm) | |
| Leaf shape and size | Basal leaves spathulate or oblanceolate (1.7−6.5 × 0.8−1.5 cm) | Basal leaves lanceolate or oblanceolate (6−13 × 1.3−2 cm) | |
| Cauline leaves narrowly lanceolate | Cauline leaves oblong-linear | ||
| Involucre type and diameter | 2−3 seriate, 12−17 mm | ±2-seriate, 17−22 mm | |
| Phyllaries | Lanceolate (8−10 × 1.5−2 mm) | Oblong-lanceolate (10−12 × 3−4.5 mm) | |
| Ray florets | 31−67 flowers, blue or mauve, rarely pink or pinkish white | 45−93 flowers, mauve to purple or lilac-blue | |
| Disc florets | Yellow corollas | Blackish-purple fading to orange corollas | |
| Pappus | 4-seriate, whitish (sometimes purplish) | 3-seriate, white | |
| Anatomical | Transverse section of stem | Appears hexagonal or octagonal with distinct ridges on the surface | Appears circular, with a single layer of parenchymatous cells without intercellular spaces |
| Cortex zone comprises 4−5 layers of cells, while 8−10 layers are present at the ridges | The cortex is composed of 3–5 layers of parenchyma cells | ||
| Physicochemical | Total ash | ≤10 % | ≤7 % |
| Alcohol-insoluble extractive | ≤7 % | ≤21 % | |
| Traditional medicine | Number of formulations | 3 | 1 |
| Parts used | Stem and flowers | Leaves | |
| Diseases treated | Chronic fever, cardiovascular diseases, cold, arthritis, insomnia, dehydration, stomach disorder, and loss of appetite | Neurological disorder, giddiness, neck stiffness, and chronic headache | |
| HPTLC profile | Under 366 nm UV light | 6 bands, dark blue with Rf 0.72, is the most distinct | 10 bands, fluorescent blue at Rf 0.42 is the most distinct |
| Under 254 nm UV light | 4 bands | 5 bands with Rf 0.34 band as the most distinct |
Abbreviations: HPTLC – high-performance thin layer chromatography; masl – meters above sea level; Rf – retention factor; UV – ultraviolet.