Liatris aspera

Michaux

Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 92. 1803.

Common names: Rough gayfeather
IllustratedEndemic
Synonyms: Lacinaria scariosa var. intermedia Lunell Liatris aspera var. intermedia (Lunell) Gaiser Liatris aspera var. salutans (Lunell) Shinners Liatris spheroidea var. salutans (Lunell) Shinners
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 21. Treatment on page 533. Mentioned on page 517, 534, 535.

Plants 30–180 cm. Corms globose. Stems hispidulous-puberulent. Leaves: basal (usually withering before flowering) and proximal cauline 1-nerved, broadly oblanceolate to elliptic or lanceolate-spatulate to linear-lanceolate, 80–250 × (4–) 6–25 mm, gradually or abruptly reduced distally, essentially glabrous or sparsely or densely puberulent-hispidulous, ± glanddotted (distal especially). Heads in loose, spiciform arrays. Peduncles 0 or (ascending to spreading or deflexed) 1–5 (–10) mm. Involucres campanulate-hemispheric to turbinate-campanulate, (9–) 10–16 × 10–20 mm. Phyllaries usually in 4–5 series, (outer or outer and middle usually reflexed) broadly obovate to oblong-spatulate, unequal, essentially glabrous, margins with relatively broad, whitish-hyaline, irregular to erose or lacerate borders (especially on the distal 1/3), strongly bullate (with a sharp, low, rounded buttress delimiting the hyaline border), apices usually rounded to subtruncate. Florets (14–) 18–24 (–30); corolla-tubes pilose inside. Cypselae (3.5–) 4.5–6 mm; pappi: lengths ± equaling corollas, bristles barbellate. 2n = 20.


Phenology: Flowering Aug–Sep(–Oct).
Habitat: Prairies, barrens, old fields, sand dunes, ridges, fields, stream bottoms, sandstone outcrops, limestone ridges, hills, oak, oak-juniper, and oak-pine woodlands, jack pine, sand, silt loam
Elevation: 50–500(–900) m

Distribution

V21-1357-distribution-map.gif

Ont., Ala., Ark., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Va., W.Va., Wis.

Discussion

Plants of Liatris aspera from the Dakotas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas have consistently sparsely to densely puberulent-hispidulous leaves (var. aspera); those to the east usually have glabrous leaves (var. intermedia); variation in vestiture occurs in Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana and identities in this large area would have to be arbitrary or typological if varieties were formally recognized. Variety salutans was recognized by Shinners on the basis of its deflexed (versus horizontal or ascending) heads; such plants occur in Texas, western Louisiana, and adjacent areas of Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"barbellate" is not a number."fine" is not a number.

... more about "Liatris aspera"
not tailed +, truncate +, rounded +  and obtuse +
usually rounded;subtruncate +
scarious +
usually ovate +  and lanceolate +
usually terete +  and clavate +
indeterminate +  and determinate +
Guy L. Nesom +
Michaux +
decurrent +
not enlarged +
5-nerved +, 3-nerved +  and 1-nerved +
dissected +, lobed +, toothed +  and entire +
mostly linear;ovatelanceolate +
papillate +  and rugose +
(4-)5-angled;10-ribbed +
irregular;erose +
whitish-hyaline +
lacerate +
linear-clavate +
Rough gayfeather +
white +, usually lavender +  and dark magenta or pinkish purple +
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
usually hirsutulous +  and hirtellous-pilose +
prismatic +
fertile +  and bisexual +
Ont. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Nebr. +, N.C. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, S.C. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Va. +, W.Va. +  and Wis. +
50–500(–900) m +
pistillate +, staminate +  and neuter +
winged +  and beaked +
dispersed +
Prairies, barrens, old fields, sand dunes, ridges, fields, stream bottoms, sandstone outcrops, limestone ridges, hills, oak, oak-juniper, and oak-pine woodlands, jack pine, sand, silt loam +
in usually determinate , rarely indeterminate , arrays +  and singly +
indeterminate +
each +  and sessile +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br />) +
campanulate-hemispheric;turbinate-campanulate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br /> (25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br />) +
cauline +, proximal +  and basal +
puberulent-hispidulous +, or +  and glabrous +
broadly oblanceolate;elliptic or lanceolate-spatulate +
reduced +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
lanceolate +  and lance-linear +
2-carpellate +
persistent +
1-5(-10) mm +
Flowering Aug–Sep(–Oct). +
18 +  and 40 +
Fl. Bor.-Amer. +
bearing subulate enations +, hairy +  and bristly +
conic;spheric;usually flat;convex +
exalbuminous +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
branched +  and simple +
hispidulous-puberulent +
appendaged +  and truncate +
hirsutulous +
papillate +
Lacinaria scariosa var. intermedia +, Liatris aspera var. intermedia +, Liatris aspera var. salutans +  and Liatris spheroidea var. salutans +
Liatris aspera +
species +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (180 cm1,800 mm <br />1.8 m <br />) +