What is "ampelaster"

Ampelaster is a North American genus of flowering plants in the daisy family.

There is a single known species, Ampelaster carolinianus, known as climbing aster. It is native to the southeastern United States, in the States of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

Ampelaster carolinianus is unusual in the family in that it is a climber, using other plants to support its weight. Sometimes it uses adventitious roots to this end. Flower heads are 1-15 per branch, with both ray florets and disc florets, the flowers pale pink to rose-purple.