Liatris punctata var. punctata

Endemic
Synonyms: Lacinaria arenicola Bush Liatris densispicata (Bush) Gaiser Liatris punctata var. coloradensis Gaiser Liatris punctata var. nebraskana
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 21. Treatment on page 519. Mentioned on page 520.

Corms elongate or becoming rhizomes. Leaves 10–14 cm, 1–4 (–5) mm wide. Heads in dense, spiciform arrays (closely spaced, stems usually obscured by heads). Involucres 10–14 mm. Phyllaries in 4 (–5) series. Florets 4–8.2n = 20, 40, 60.


Phenology: Flowering Aug–Oct(–Nov).
Habitat: Grassy prairies, sagebrush prairies, rocky and gravelly ridges and slopes, roadsides, fencerows, stream banks, over granite, limestone, and sandstone, in sands, clays, gypseous clays
Elevation: (50–)100–1900(–2200) m

Distribution

V21-1311-distribution-map.gif

Alta., Man., Sask., Colo., Ill., Iowa, Kans., Mich., Minn., Mo., Mont., Nebr., N.Mex., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., S.Dak., Tex., Wis., Wyo.

Discussion

Gaiser distinguished var. punctata (type from Saskatchewan) from var. nebraskana by its thicker, often shorter stems, broader and shorter leaves, leaves and phyllaries with ciliate margins, and phyllaries with lanceolate-acuminate apices. Weak geographic trends exist in these features; variability renders var. nebraskana largely typological and necessitates much arbitrary identification. B. R. Menhusen (1963) also did not find justification for recognizing var. nebraskana. Variation in chromosome number may be associated with some of the apparent polymorphism.

Liatris densispicata was described from sand dunes in Minnesota. It was said to have “an elongate rootstock that runs horizontally in the sand, giving off clusters of aerial stems,” and to differ from L. punctata by “the generally finer and more slender structure of the stem, spike, and leaves” (L. O. Gaiser 1946, p. 363). It was listed as a synonym of L. punctata by G. B. Ownbey and T. Morley (1991).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"plumose" is not a number."fine" is not a number.

60 +, 40 +  and 20 +
not tailed +, truncate +, rounded +  and obtuse +
rounded-truncate;rounded;rounded-truncate;rounded;obtuse;acute-acuminate;acute +
scarious +
usually ovate +  and lanceolate +
usually terete +  and clavate +
indeterminate +  and determinate +
Guy L. Nesom +
Hooker +
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 +
linear-clavate +
branched +  and simple +
white +, usually lavender +  and dark magenta or pinkish purple +
0.55 cm5.5 mm <br />0.0055 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
usually hirsutulous +  and hirtellous-pilose +
prismatic +
fertile +  and bisexual +
Alta. +, Man. +, Sask. +, Colo. +, Ill. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mo. +, Mont. +, Nebr. +, N.Mex. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, S.Dak. +, Tex. +, Wis. +  and Wyo. +
(50–)100–1900(–2200) m +
pistillate +, staminate +  and neuter +
winged +  and beaked +
dispersed +
Grassy prairies, sagebrush prairies, rocky and gravelly ridges and slopes, roadsides, fencerows, stream banks, over granite, limestone, and sandstone, in sands, clays, gypseous clays +
in usually determinate , rarely indeterminate , arrays +  and singly +
indeterminate +
each +  and sessile +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br />) +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
campanulate-cylindric +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (14 cm140 mm <br />0.14 m <br />) +
cauline +, proximal +  and basal +
piloso-hirsutulous +  and glabrous +
reduced +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (?) +  and 14 cm140 mm <br />0.14 m <br /> (?) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
lanceolate +  and lance-linear +
2-carpellate +
persistent +
very rarely +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
Flowering Aug–Oct(–Nov). +
18 +  and 40 +
Fl. Bor.-Amer. +
bearing subulate enations +, hairy +  and bristly +
conic;spheric;usually flat;convex +
exalbuminous +
branched +  and simple +
appendaged +  and truncate +
hirsutulous +
papillate +
Lacinaria arenicola +, Liatris densispicata +, Liatris punctata var. coloradensis +  and Liatris punctata var. nebraskana +
Liatris punctata var. punctata +
Liatris punctata +
variety +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (180 cm1,800 mm <br />1.8 m <br />) +