Liatris hirsuta
Liatris gracilis
hairy gayfeather, scaly blazing star
slender blazing star, slender gayfeather
hirsute to piloso-hirsute.
puberulent to piloso- or strigoso-puberulent.
basal and proximal cauline 3–5-nerved, linear-lanceolate, 60–180 × 2–7 mm (largest usually distal to proximalmost), gradually reduced distally, hirsute to piloso-hirsute.
basal and proximal cauline 1-nerved, usually linear to linear-oblanceolate or oblanceolate, sometimes narrowly spatulate, 50–150 × 2–8(–10) mm, gradually or abruptly reduced on distal 1/2–1/3 of stems, essentially glabrous (proximal margins ciliate).
0 or (peduncles spreading to ascending) 1–10 mm.
0 or (usually straight, stiffly spreading to ascending) 2–10(–12) mm.
cylindro-campanulate, 11–17 × 6–9 mm.
cylindro-campanulate, (4–)4.5–6(–7) × 3–4(–5) mm.
15–30;
corolla tubes glabrous inside (lobes adaxially hispid).
3–6(–9);
corolla tubes pilose inside.
(spreading to reflexed) in 5–7 series, ovate-triangular (outer) to oblong-triangular, unequal, usually sparsely hirsute, margins without hyaline borders, coarsely hirsute-ciliate, apices acute-acuminate.
in 3(–4) series, (green to purple) ovate to oblong, strongly to weakly unequal, sparsely puberulent, margins with hyaline borders, ciliolate, apices rounded to truncate.
in loose, racemiform to spiciform arrays.
in loose, racemiform arrays.
5.5–6.5 mm;
pappi: lengths ± equaling corollas, bristles plumose.
3–3.5 mm;
pappi: lengths ± equaling corollas, bristles barbellate.
globose to slightly elongate.
globose to subglobose.
= 20.
Liatris hirsuta
Liatris gracilis
Liatris hirsuta occupies a geographic range separate from and nearly contiguous with L. squarrosa. They have been treated as a single species. Liatris hirsuta is sympatric (without intergrades) with L. squarrosa var. squarrosa in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Mississippi; it is sympatric with L. compacta in Arkansas; it intergrades with L. cylindracea in Missouri. See also discussion under 1. L. compacta.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Plants of Liatris gracilis from the panhandle of Florida and the southern tier of Alabama counties tend to have sharply acute phyllaries; intermediates are often encountered.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
KS Wildflowers
LA Plants
MO Plants
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
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