Contains 18 accepted taxa overall.
Characteristics
Classification
Citation
LIATRIS Gaertner ex Schreber, Gen. Pl. 542. 1791, nom. cons. vs. Lacinaria Hill 1762.
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TYPE: Liatris squarrosa (Linnaeus) Michaux, typ. cons. (Serratula squarrosa Linnaeus)
Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Herbarium Specimens | Status | Photos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liatris aspera | TALL GAYFEATHER | Native | ||
| Liatris chapmanii | CHAPMAN'S GAYFEATHER | Native | ||
| Liatris elegans | PINKSCALE GAYFEATHER | Native | ||
| Liatris elegantula | GRASSLEAF GAYFEATHER | Native | ||
| Liatris garberi | GARBER'S GAYFEATHER | Native FACW (NWPL) FACW (DEP) | ||
| Liatris gholsonii | GHOLSON'S GAYFEATHER | Native Rare-State | ||
| Liatris gracilis | SLENDER GAYFEATHER | Native FACU (NWPL) FAC (DEP) | ||
| Liatris ohlingerae | FLORIDA GAYFEATHER; SCRUB BLAZING-STAR | Native Rare-State Endangered-US | ||
| Liatris patens | GEORGIA BLAZING STAR | Native | ||
| Liatris pauciflora var. pauciflora | FEWFLOWER GAYFEATHER | Native | ||
| Liatris pauciflora var. secunda | PIEDMONT GAYFEATHER | Native | ||
| Liatris provincialis | GODFREY'S GAYFEATHER; GODFREY'S BLAZING-STAR | Native Rare-State | ||
| Liatris savannensis | SAVANNA GAYFEATHER | Native | ||
| Liatris spicata | DENSE GAYFEATHER | Native FACU (NWPL) FAC (DEP) | ||
| Liatris squarrosa | SCALY GAYFEATHER | Native | ||
| Liatris squarrulosa | APPALACHIAN GAYFEATHER | Native | ||
| Liatris tenuifolia | SHORTLEAF GAYFEATHER | Native | ||
| Liatris tenuifolia var. quadriflora | SHORTLEAF GAYFEATHER | Native |
Identification Key
1. Rootstock elongate-tuberous to taprooted; heads in corymbiform to racemiform arrays; peduncle (often scaly) 10-75 mm long; involucre 17-27 mm long, 14-26 mm wide
1. Rootstock usually globose (except in L. garberi); heads in racemiform to spiciform arrays; peduncle (often scaly) 0-15(25) mm long; involucre 4-25 mm wide
2
2. Pappus bristles plumose, the segments flexible and to 1 mm long
3
2. Pappus bristles barbellate, the segments stiff and to 0.4 mm long
4
3. Involucre 4-8 mm wide, the outer phyllaries 1-2 mm wide; inner phyllaries petaloid, white to pink; heads with 4-6 flowers
3. Involucre 10-25 mm wide, the outer phyllaries 2-3 mm wide; inner phyllaries not petaloid, similar to outer ones; heads with (10)20-45(60) flowers
4. Stems glabrous to sparsely pilose
5
4. Stems puberulent, hispidulous, pilose, hirsute, to strigose, glandular
11
5. Middle and inner phyllary apices truncate, obtuse, to rounded (rarely acute)
6
5. Middle and inner phyllary apices mucronate, cuspidate, apiculate, acute, to acuminate
8
6. Cauline leaves spreading, divergent; heads in loose to dense arrays (internodes 2–14 mm); involucres 5-7 m wide
6. Cauline leaves ascending; heads in moderately dense arrays; involucre 4-12 mm wide
7
7. Stem and leaves glandular-punctate; leaf margins with some hairs >1 mm long; corolla tube inside pilose
7. Stem and leaves eglandular to weakly glandular-punctate; leaf margins with hairs <0.9 mm long; corolla tube inside glabrous
8. Involucres 10-15 mm long; phyllary apices acute to acuminate
8. Involucres 5-9 mm long; phyllary apices retuse, mucronate, cuspidate, or apiculate
9
9. Basal leaves 1-2(2.5) mm wide, margins usually ciliate proximally, faces glandular-punctate; inner phyllaries usually emarginate-mucronate, lacerate-denticulate
9. Basal leaves (1)2-6(10) mm wide, margins not ciliate, faces (minutely white-dotted by stomates) eglandular or weakly glandular-punctate; inner phyllaries usually obtuse-mucronate
10
10. Culms (40)50-80(120) cm tall, 4-6 mm wide, the inflorescence ca. half of the culm height; leaves in a well-defined, densely leafy basal rosette, (4)5-7(10) mm wide and 15-20 cm long, mostly lax and spreading; flowering mostly Jul-Sep
10. Culms (60)75-100(150) cm tall, 2-3 mm wide, the inflorescence ca. 1/4 of the culm height; leaves in a diffuse, few-leaved basal rosette, 2-3 mm wide and 20-30 cm long, mostly somewhat ascending; flowering Oct-Nov
11. Involucre (6)8-20 mm wide; florets 11-30
12
11. Involucre 2.5-10 mm wide
13
12. Phyllaries bullate, the hyaline margin relatively wide and erose, lacerate, or irregular
12. Phyllaries not bullate, the hyaline margin narrow to absent, entire
13. Peduncles 0-2(3) mm long
14
13. Peduncles 4-20(30) mm long (if 0-3 mm long, then heads usually secund)
15
14. Heads rigidly ascending, appressed to rachises and each other, overlapping; phyllary margins usually not ciliolate, apices erect to ascending
14. Heads spreading to ascending, not strongly overlapping; phyllary margins ciliolate, apices ascending to slightly spreading
15. Involucre 10-15 mm long; heads often secund
15. Involucre 4-10 mm long; heads usually not secund
16
16. Peduncles 10-25(30) mm long; involucres 5-7 mm wide; phyllary apices rounded to subtruncate; florets 7-12
16. Peduncles 0-10(12) mm long; involucres 2.5-5 mm wide; phyllary apices rounded, obtuse, acute, to acuminate; florets 3-10
17
17. Rootstock elongate-tuberous; involucre 8-10 mm long; florets 6-10
17. Rootstock globose; involucre 4-6(7) mm long; florets 3-6(9)
18
18. Proximal cauline leaves (8)11-22(27) mm wide; floral bracts of proximalmost heads (1.8)2-6(10) mm wide; phyllaries usually acuminate to rarely obtuse
18. Proximal cauline leaves 3-8(10) mm wide; floral bracts of proximalmost heads 0.8-2.2 mm wide; phyllaries usually obtuse to rarely acute
Genus Synonyms
| Synonym | Full Citation | Basionym | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ammopursus | Ammopursus Small, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 51: 392. 1924. | TYPE: Ammopursus ohlingerae (S. F. Blake) Small (Lacinaria ohlingerae S. F. Blake) | |
| Calostelma | Calostelma D. Don, in Sweet, Brit. Fl. Gard., ser. 2. pl. 184. 1833. | TYPE: Calostelma elegans (Walter) D. Don (Stahelina elegans Walter) | |
| Lacinaria | Lacinaria Hill, Veg. Syst. 4; 49. 1762, nom. rej. vs. Liatris Gaertner ex Schreber 1791. | TYPE: = Liatris Gaertner ex Schreber 1791. | |
| Suprago | Suprago Gaertner, Fruct. Sem. Pl. 2: 402, t. 166. 1791. | TYPE: Suprago spicata (Linnaeus) Gaertner (Serratula spicata Linnaeus) Lectotypified by Cassini, in Cuvier, Dict. Sci. Nat. 51: 384. 1827. |