Ionactis linariifolia also known as the flax-leaf ankle-aster, flaxleaf whitetop or aster was previously classified by Carolus Linnaeus as Aster linariifolius, known as the stiff-leafed aster.Ionactis was classified as a separate genus by Edward Lee Greene in 1897. It occurs in most of eastern North America. The flowers are violet, rarely white, which is more common in others of the genus.