Flora of North America species comparison

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Liatris aestivalis

blazing star, summer gayfeather
Habit Plants 20–65 cm.
Stems

glabrous.
Leaves

basal and proximal cauline 1-nerved, linear to linear-lanceolate, 70–150 × 1–2.5 mm, abruptly or gradually reduced on distal 1/2 of stems, essentially glabrous (margins sometimes sparsely ciliate).
Peduncles

0.
Involucres

cylindro-turbinate, 9–12 × 3.5–5 mm.
Florets

3–4(–5);

corolla tubes glabrate inside.
Phyllaries

in 2–3 series, (often dark purple in anthesis) oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate-triangular, weakly unequal, essentially glabrous, margins without hyaline borders, sometimes sparsely ciliate, apices acute to acute-attenuate (sometimes with narrow tips).
Heads

(closely spaced, stems obscured) in dense, (cylindric) spiciform arrays.
Cypselae

4.5–6 mm;

pappi: lengths ± equaling corollas, bristles plumose.
Corms

globose or subglobose.

Liatris aestivalis
Phenology Flowering mid Jul–Aug(–Sep).
Habitat Shallow soils over limestone outcrops, slopes, bases of slopes, usually with yucca
Elevation 100–400 m (300–1300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OK; TX
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 520.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Eupatorieae > Liatris
Sibling taxa
L. acidota, L. aspera, L. bracteata, L. chapmanii, L. cokeri, L. compacta, L. cylindracea, L. cymosa, L. elegans, L. elegantula, L. garberi, L. gholsonii, L. glandulosa, L. gracilis, L. helleri, L. hirsuta, L. laevigata, L. lancifolia, L. ligulistylis, L. microcephala, L. ohlingerae, L. oligocephala, L. patens, L. pauciflora, L. pilosa, L. provincialis, L. punctata, L. pycnostachya, L. savannensis, L. scariosa, L. spicata, L. squarrosa, L. squarrulosa, L. tenuifolia, L. tenuis, L. virgata
Name authority G. L. Nesom & O’Kennon: Sida 19: 768, figs. 1, 2. (2001)
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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