Eupatorium hyssopifolium
Eupatorium petaloideum
hyssop-leaf boneset, hyssop-leaf thoroughwort
showy white thoroughwort
(from short caudices or rhizomes) single, sparsely branched distally, pubescent throughout.
(from short, stout rhizomes) single, branched distally, puberulent.
usually opposite or whorled (distal sometimes alternate, spreading or horizontal); simple, sessile;
blades 3-nerved from bases (laterals sometimes weak), lance-linear, lance-oblong, or linear, 20–60 × 2–15 mm (lengths mostly 6–40 times widths), bases cuneate, margins entire, laciniate-serrate, or serrate, apices acute, faces scabrous (at least abaxial).
usually opposite (distal sometimes alternate);
sessile;
blades pinnately nerved, elliptic to ovate, 20–80 × 10–30 mm, bases cuneate, margins serrate to crenate-serrate, apices rounded to acute, faces sparsely villous (abaxial), glabrate (adaxial), little, if at all, gland-dotted.
5;
corollas 3–3.5 mm.
(4–)5;
corollas 3–3.5 mm.
8–10 in 2–3 series, elliptic to oblong, 1.5–5 × 1–1.5 mm, apices obtuse to acute (not mucronate), abaxial faces pubescent throughout (more densely distally).
9–15 in 2–4 series, linear, 4–10 × 0.6–1 mm, apices (white) acuminate to attenuate, strongly mucronate, abaxial faces glabrous, not gland-dotted.
in corymbiform arrays.
in corymbiform arrays.
2–3 mm;
pappi of 20–30 bristles 3.5–4 mm.
2.5–3 mm;
pappi of 40–50 bristles 3.5–4 mm.
= 20.
Eupatorium hyssopifolium
Eupatorium petaloideum
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Eupatorium hyssopifolium includes both diploid and polyploid cytotypes and presents a complex situation taxonomically. The diploids are placed here in var. hyssopifolium, which also includes polyploids and is characterized by relatively narrow leaves. Variety laciniatum has broader leaves and molecular data suggest that it arose through hybridization between var. hyssopifolium and E. serotinum; the name E. torreyanum has been applied to plants of similar morphology, but these are hybrid derivatives of E. serotinum and E. mohrii. It has also been suggested that var. hyssopifolium has hybridized with E. album var. album to form E. saltuense, and with diploids of E. linearifolium to form polyploid populations included here under E. linearifolium. Eupatorium hyssopifolium is characterized by a tendency for the leaves to be whorled, in 3s and 4s, and for axillary buds to produce leaves without expansion of shoots; the combination of whorled leaves and suppressed axillary shoots gives the nodes a somewhat tufted or verticillate appearance.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Eupatorium petaloideum is commonly combined with E. album; it has recently been separated as a distinct variety. V. I. Sullivan (1972) found the two taxa to be distinct chemically and to occupy different habitats. In both, the involucral bracts are white and long-acuminate or mucronate; those of E. petaloideum are almost entirely devoid of any pubescence including glands and those of E. album have both simple and glandular hairs.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Leaves mostly linear, 2–5 mm wide, margins usually entire or obscurely serrulate | var. hyssopifolium |
1. Leaves mostly lance-linear to lanceolate, 5–15 mm wide, margins usually laciniately toothed | var. laciniatum |
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