Flora of North America species comparison

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Eupatorium perfoliatum

boneset thoroughwort, Chapman's thoroughwort, common boneset, eupatoire perfoliée
Habit Perennials, 40–100+ cm.
Stems

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

usually opposite (sometimes whorled);

sessile;

blades pinnately nerved, oblong (tapering toward apices), 50–150+ × 15–40 mm, bases connate-perfoliate, margins serrate, apices acute, faces pilose, gland-dotted (abaxial), glabrate, not gland-dotted (adaxial).
Florets

7–11;

corollas 2.5–3 mm.
Phyllaries

7–10 in 1–2 series, oblong, 2–4.5 × 0.6–1 mm, apices (whitish) acute to acuminate, abaxial faces villous or puberulent, gland-dotted.
Heads

in corymbiform arrays.
Cypselae

1.5–2 mm;

pappi of 20–30 bristles 3–3.5 mm.
2n

= 20.

Eupatorium perfoliatum
Phenology Flowering Aug–Oct.
Habitat Moist, low ground, marshes, roadsides, swamps, wet pastures
Elevation 10–500+ m (0–1600+ ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; MB; NB; NS; ON; PE; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Eupatorium perfoliatum is both distinctive, with its perfoliate leaf bases, and extraordinarily widespread. Hybrids between E. perfoliatum and other species of Eupatorium have been reported. The name E. resinosum var. kentuckiense Fernald is based on hybrids between E. perfoliatum and E. serotinum (= E. ×truncatum Muhlenberg ex Willdenow). Eupatorium perfoliatum var. colpophilum refers to populations characterized by narrower, more leathery leaves found in the extreme northeastern portion of the range.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 471.
Parent taxa 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. linearifolium, E. mikanioides, E. mohrii, E. petaloideum, E. pilosum, E. resinosum, E. rotundifolium, E. semiserratum, E. serotinum, E. sessilifolium, E. ×cordigerum, E. ×pinnatifidum
Synonyms E. chapmanii, E. perfoliatum var. colpophilum, E. perfoliatum var. cuneatum
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 838. (1753)
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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