Flora of North America species comparison

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Eupatorium linearifolium

Eupatorium godfreyanum

waxy thoroughwort

Godfrey's thoroughwort
Habit Perennials, 30–100+ cm. Perennials, 60–100+ cm.
Stems

(from short caudices) single or multiple, branched at or near bases, pubescent throughout.

(from short caudices) single or multiple, sparsely branched distally, puberulent throughout.
Leaves

usually opposite (distal sometimes alternate);

sessile or subsessile;

blades 3-nerved distal to bases, oblong to lance-oblong, 20–45 × 5–10 mm, bases cuneate, margins entire or serrate (teeth mostly proximal), apices acute, faces finely puberulent, gland-dotted.

usually opposite (distal sometimes alternate, spreading or horizontal);

sessile;

blades pinnately nerved, elliptic or lance-ovate to narrowly ovate, 50–100 × 15–40 mm, bases rounded to cuneate (not connate-perfoliate), margins serrate, apices acute, faces puberulent or villous, gland-dotted.
Florets

5;

corollas 3–3.5 mm.

(4–)5;

corollas 3–3.5 mm.
Phyllaries

8–10 in 1–2 series, lanceolate (tapering toward apices), 2–5 × 0.5–1 mm, apices rounded to acute, abaxial faces puberulent, gland-dotted.

7–10 in 2–3 series, lanceolate (tapering at tips), 2–6 × 1–1.5 mm, apices acute, not mucronate, abaxial faces puberulent, gland-dotted.
Heads

in corymbiform arrays.

in corymbiform arrays.
Cypselae

2.5–3 mm;

pappi of 30–40 bristles 3–5 mm.

2–3 mm;

pappi of 20–50 bristles 3.5–4.5 mm.
2n

= 20, 30, 40.

= 30, 40.

Eupatorium linearifolium

Eupatorium godfreyanum
Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep. Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat Dry, sandy soils, pine and oak woods, old fields Dry, open, disturbed sites, edges of deciduous woods
Elevation 20–100+ m (100–300+ ft) 20–300+ m (100–1000+ ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; DE; FL; GA; MS; NC; SC; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
KY; MD; NC; NJ; OH; VA; WV
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Plants treated here as Eupatorium linearifolium were long treated under the name E. cuneifolium; the latter name was superfluous when published (K. N. Gandhi and R. D. Thomas 1991). Because there appears to be a continuous range of variation between diploids that were referred to by V. I. Sullivan (1972) as E. cuneifolium and the series of putative hybrids (with E. hyssopifolium suggested as the other parent) that she called E. linearifolium, these are combined here. The tendency for the plants to branch at or near the bases is distinctive within Eupatorium.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Eupatorium godfreyanum is an apomictic polyploid derivative that includes genomes from E. rotundifolium and E. sessilifolium. Although it is relatively narrow in distribution, it is known to occur in localities where both progenitor species are absent and it seems to be persistent where it occurs. Eupatorium vaseyi Porter has been misapplied to E. godfreyanum.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 470. FNA vol. 21, p. 467.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Eupatorieae > Eupatorium Asteraceae > tribe Eupatorieae > Eupatorium
Sibling taxa
E. album, E. altissimum, E. anomalum, E. cannabinum, E. capillifolium, E. compositifolium, E. godfreyanum, E. hyssopifolium, E. lancifolium, E. leptophyllum, E. leucolepis, E. mikanioides, E. mohrii, E. perfoliatum, E. petaloideum, E. pilosum, E. resinosum, E. rotundifolium, E. semiserratum, E. serotinum, E. sessilifolium, E. ×cordigerum, E. ×pinnatifidum
E. album, E. altissimum, E. anomalum, E. cannabinum, E. capillifolium, E. compositifolium, E. hyssopifolium, E. lancifolium, E. leptophyllum, E. leucolepis, E. linearifolium, E. mikanioides, E. mohrii, E. perfoliatum, E. petaloideum, E. pilosum, E. resinosum, E. rotundifolium, E. semiserratum, E. serotinum, E. sessilifolium, E. ×cordigerum, E. ×pinnatifidum
Synonyms E. cuneifolium, E. glaucescens, E. tortifolium
Name authority Walter: Fl. Carol., 199. (1788) Cronquist: Brittonia 37: 238, fig. 1. (1985)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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