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hairy gayfeather, scaly blazing star

dotted blazing star, dotted gayfeather, narrow-leaf blazingstar, plains gayfeather

Habit Plants 20–70 cm. Plants 15–85 cm.
Stems

hirsute to piloso-hirsute.

glabrous.

Leaves

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, linear, 50–140 × 1–7 mm, gradually or little reduced distally, essentially glabrous or sparsely piloso-hirsutulous, gland-dotted (margins sometimes ciliate).

Peduncles

0 or (peduncles spreading to ascending) 1–10 mm.

0 or very rarely 1–2 mm.

Involucres

cylindro-campanulate, 11–17 × 6–9 mm.

campanulate-cylindric, 7–15 × (4–)5–7 mm.

Florets

15–30;

corolla tubes glabrous inside (lobes adaxially hispid).

3–8;

corolla tubes glabrous inside.

Phyllaries

(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 3–6 series, mostly oblong-obovate, unequal, essentially glabrous, margins without hyaline borders, sometimes ciliate, apices acute, acute-acuminate, obtuse, rounded, or rounded-truncate (often with indurate apicula or mucros, lateral veins usually not evident beyond middle or at least on distal 1/3).

Heads

in loose, racemiform to spiciform arrays.

in dense to loose, spiciform arrays.

Cypselae

5.5–6.5 mm;

pappi: lengths ± equaling corollas, bristles plumose.

(5.5–)6–8.5 mm;

pappi: lengths ± equaling corollas, bristles plumose.

Corms

globose to slightly elongate.

globose to depressed-globose or elongate, sometimes becoming simple or branched rhizomes.

Liatris hirsuta

Liatris punctata

Phenology Flowering (Jun–)Jul–Aug(–Sep).
Habitat Prairies, rocky slopes, flats, marl ridges, pine-oak woods, streamsides, roadsides
Elevation 50–500(–900) m (200–1600(–3000) ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; IA; KS; LA; MO; MS; NE; OK; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AR; CO; IA; IL; KS; LA; MI; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; NM; OH; OK; SD; TX; WI; WY; AB; MB; SK; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Corms globose to depressed-globose; involucres 7–9(–12) mm; phyllaries in (4–)5–6 series; florets (3–)4–5(–6)
var. mucronata
1. Corms elongate or becoming rhizomes; involucres 10–14 mm; phyllaries in 4(–5) series; florets 4–8
→ 2
2. Heads in dense, spiciform arrays (closely spaced, stems usually obscured by heads)
var. punctata
2. Heads in loose, spiciform arrays (widely spaced, stems evident)
var. mexicana
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 518. FNA vol. 21, p. 519.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Eupatorieae > Liatris Asteraceae > tribe Eupatorieae > Liatris
Sibling taxa
L. acidota, L. aestivalis, 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. 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
L. acidota, L. aestivalis, 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. pycnostachya, L. savannensis, L. scariosa, L. spicata, L. squarrosa, L. squarrulosa, L. tenuifolia, L. tenuis, L. virgata
Subordinate taxa
L. punctata var. mexicana, L. punctata var. mucronata, L. punctata var. punctata
Synonyms L. squarrosa var. hirsuta Lacinaria punctata
Name authority Rydberg: Brittonia 1: 98. (1931) Hooker: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 306, plate 105. (1833)
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