Liatris elegantula
Liatris oligocephala
Greene's elegant gayfeather, shaggy blazing star
Cahaba torch
glabrous.
glabrous.
basal and proximal cauline 1-nerved, linear-oblanceolate to narrowly oblanceolate, 80–210 × 2–5(–10) mm, gradually or abruptly reduced distally, essentially glabrous (sparsely piloso-ciliate along proximal margins), gland-dotted.
basal scalelike (usually withering before flowering), cauline 1-nerved, mostly linear, 12–20(–230) × 1.2–3(–4.5) mm, gradually reduced beyond midstem, essentially glabrous (margins ciliate).
0 or (ascending) 2(–7) mm.
(5–)12–40 mm.
turbinate, 6–8 × 5–7 mm.
campanulate-turbinate, 10–19(–23) × (8–)10–17(–21) mm.
(7–)8–11(–13);
corolla tubes pilose inside.
(11–)14–21(–25);
corolla tubes glabrous inside.
in 3–4(–5) series, mostly oblong, unequal, essentially glabrous, margins with hyaline borders (0.2–0.4 mm wide), sometimes sparsely ciliolate, apices rounded.
in ± 3–4 series, (green or purple) lanceolate to linear-oblong, unequal, essentially glabrous or sparsely pilose, margins with or without hyaline borders, ciliate, apices long- to short-acuminate.
in loose, racemiform arrays (internodes 2–14 mm).
borne singly or (2–10) in subcorymbiform arrays.
2.8–3.5(–3.8) mm;
pappi: lengths ± equaling corollas, bristles barbellate.
(3.5–)5–7 mm (glabrous);
pappi: lengths ± 1/2–2/3 corollas, bristles barbellate.
mostly globose.
subglobose to depressed hemispheric.
= 20.
Liatris elegantula
Liatris oligocephala
Of conservation concern.
Liatris oligocephala is known only from Bibb County.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
