Calico Aster is also known as Starved Aster.

Plant is an upright or sprawling perennial. Its preferred habitat is fields, thickets, bottom lands and stream banks. Distribution is throughout the Escambia region.

Leaves are 2 to 6 inches long; lance-like to widest at the middle; coarsely toothed; often twisted.  The tipip is long pointed, the base is winged and appears to be without a leaf stalk.

Flowers are a panicle at the tip of a flowering stem, with short axillary branches and many flower heads. Heads are bell-shaped; 1/4 inch long.  Ray flowers are white, about twice as long as the bracts.

Disc flowers are yellowish or purple; the bracts are marked with spindle-shaped green blotches (thus the multi-colors of the heads account for the name, calico).

Fruit is achene (a seed which outer layer is fused to it).

This is one of a group of closely related white, narrow-leaved Asters which presumably interbreed and are difficult to distinguish. The common name refers to the fact that the heads are at first yellow and later turn purplish-red, so that flowers on one plant and even single head may include both colors at the same time.