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The Sea aster (Tripolium pannonicum) belongs to Asteraceae (the Aster family). It is an annual herb that is distributed from Honshu to Shikoku and Kyushu in Japan, the Korean Peninsula and China, and from Russia to Europe and North Africa. It grows in coastal marshes, grasslands, and riversides, and is 25 to 50 cm tall. The stem is erect and branched. The leaves are lanceolate and entire, thick and glossy, with pointed tips. It produces bluish-white to bluish-purple or white flower heads from August to December. There are 13 to 25 ray florets in a row and 19 to 22 yellow disk florets. The fruit is an achene with a pappus. It is also known as "Hama-shion" in Japan. In Chinese, it is called "碱菀" (jian wan).
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