Liatris tenuifolia
Liatris bracteata
pine-needle gayfeather, shortleaf blazing star, shortleaf gayfeather
bract blazing star, South Texas gayfeather
glabrous or sparsely pilose.
glabrous.
basal and proximal cauline (arising from separated nodes) 1-nerved, linear to linear-lanceolate, 100–300 × 1–2(–2.5) mm, gradually or abruptly reduced distally, essentially glabrous, gland-dotted (proximal margins sometimes ciliate).
basal and proximal cauline 1-nerved, linear, 40–100 × 1–2 mm, even-sized or gradually reduced distally, essentially glabrous, gland-dotted (proximal margins sparsely ciliate).
(ascending) 1–7 mm.
0.
turbinate-campanulate, 5–7 × 4–5 mm.
turbinate-cylindric, (11–)12–15 × 5–7 mm.
4–6;
corolla tubes glabrous inside.
8–14(–16);
corolla tubes glabrous inside.
in 2–3(–4) series, lanceolate to oblong or elliptic-oblong, unequal, essentially glabrous, margins with (pinkish purple) hyaline borders, apices usually rounded-retuse and minutely involute-cuspidate to apiculate.
in 5–6(–7) series, broadly oblong to lanceolate-oblong, strongly unequal, glabrous, margins without hyaline borders, finely ciliolate, apices obtuse, rounded, or truncate, sharply involute-apiculate.
in compact, racemiform arrays.
(widely spaced, stems evident) in loose, spiciform arrays.
2.5–4 mm;
pappi: lengths ± equaling corollas, bristles barbellate.
6–9 mm;
pappi: lengths ± equaling corollas, bristles plumose.
globose.
globose.
= 60.
Liatris tenuifolia
Liatris bracteata
Of conservation concern.
Liatris bracteata might justifiably be treated at varietal rank within L. punctata; the morphologic difference appears to be primarily in head size (especially floret number). Chromosome counts (L. O. Gaiser 1950c) indicate that L. bracteata is hexaploid, compared to diploids and tetraploids in populations of L. punctata.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
