Liatris pycnostachya
Liatris lancifolia
cat-tail gayfeather, prairie blazing star, prairie gayfeather, thick-spike blazing star
Great Plains gayfeather, lanceleaf blazing star
glabrous or densely piloso-puberulent.
glabrous.
basal and proximal cauline 3–5-nerved, linear to narrowly oblanceolate or oblanceolate, 110–220 × 4–10(–12) mm, gradually then abruptly reduced distally (bractlike proximal to heads), essentially glabrous or sparsely pilose to densely piloso-puberulent, weakly gland-dotted (bases of basal usually fibrous-persistent).
basal and lower cauline 3–5-nerved, narrowly oblong-lanceolate to narrowly spatulate-oblanceolate, 60–180(–330) × 6–12(–15) mm (usually becoming more densely arranged distally), abruptly reduced near midstem (continuing densely to immediately proximal to heads), essentially glabrous, gland-dotted (bases of basal often fibrous-persistent).
usually 0, rarely (spreading to ascending) 1–2 mm.
0.
campanulate-cylindric, 7–9(–10) × 3.5–5 mm.
turbinate-cylindric to turbinate-campanulate, 7–9 × 4–7 mm.
(4–)5–8;
corolla tubes glabrous inside.
5–8(–12);
corolla tubes glabrous inside.
(reflexed or curving-spreading) in 4–5 series, oblong-lanceolate, unequal, essentially glabrous or ± pilose, margins with hyaline borders, sometimes ciliate, apices usually acute to acute-acuminate (sometimes distally dilated, nearly petaloid).
in 3–4 series, ovate to oblong, unequal, glabrous, margins with hyaline borders, sometimes ciliolate, apices rounded to obtuse.
in dense, spiciform arrays.
in dense, spiciform arrays.
3.8–4.5(–5) mm;
pappi: lengths ± equaling corollas, bristles barbellate.
4–4.5 mm;
pappi: lengths ± equaling corollas, bristles barbellate.
globose, sometimes becoming elongate rhizomes.
globose.
= 20.
Liatris pycnostachya
Liatris lancifolia
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
The abrupt size reduction of cauline leaves in Liatris lancifolia is similar to that of L. spicata var. resinosa; the long, dense spikes and wider basal leaves are more like those of L. spicata var. spicata. Little differentiation exists between L. lancifolia and L. spicata, but L. lancifolia is maintained here at specific rank, coordinate with L. spicata, primarily because of its wide geographic disjunction and generally different habitat. Recognition that the two elements within L. spicata have a nearly analogous relationship of range and habitat might provide rationale for treating all three of these closely similar taxa at equivalent rank. Liatris lancifolia is expected in Oklahoma.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Corms globose; stems usually glabrous or sparsely pilose except near heads (where sparsely piloso-puberulent); leaves glabrous | var. pycnostachya |
1. Corms globose to elongate; stems moderately to densely piloso-puberulent; leaves moderately to densely piloso-puberulent to nearly glabrous | var. lasiophylla |
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