Liatris pilosa
Liatris gracilis
grass-leaf gayfeather, shaggy blazing star
slender blazing star, slender gayfeather
glabrous or sparsely to moderately pilose distally or throughout.
puberulent to piloso- or strigoso-puberulent.
basal and proximal cauline 1-nerved, narrowly oblanceolate, 60–170(–200) × 2–7(–11) mm, abruptly to gradually reduced distally (becoming linear, spreading-ascending), essentially glabrous or sparsely pilose (abaxially), gland-dotted (proximal margins piloso-ciliate).
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 (ascending) 1–10(–80) mm.
0 or (usually straight, stiffly spreading to ascending) 2–10(–12) mm.
turbinate to campanulate-cylindric, (7–)8–10 × 5–6 mm.
cylindro-campanulate, (4–)4.5–6(–7) × 3–4(–5) mm.
(6–)7–12(–13, mostly 9–12 in Del.
3–6(–9);
corolla tubes pilose inside.
in (3–)4–5(–6) series, oblong, unequal, essentially glabrous, margins with hyaline borders (0.2–0.4 mm wide), erose to lacerate, ciliolate, apices usually rounded, rarely acute.
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 to dense, racemiform to spiciform arrays (internodes 1–7 mm).
in loose, racemiform arrays.
(2.5–)3–4 mm;
pappi: lengths ± equaling corollas, bristles barbellate.
3–3.5 mm;
pappi: lengths ± equaling corollas, bristles barbellate.
globose.
globose to subglobose.
N.J.);
corolla tubes pilose inside.
= 20.
= 20.
Liatris pilosa
Liatris gracilis
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.)
MD Biodiversity
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
