Liatris tenuifolia
Liatris gracilis
pine-needle gayfeather, shortleaf blazing star, shortleaf gayfeather
slender blazing star, slender gayfeather
glabrous or sparsely pilose.
puberulent to piloso- or strigoso-puberulent.
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, 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).
(ascending) 1–7 mm.
0 or (usually straight, stiffly spreading to ascending) 2–10(–12) mm.
turbinate-campanulate, 5–7 × 4–5 mm.
cylindro-campanulate, (4–)4.5–6(–7) × 3–4(–5) mm.
4–6;
corolla tubes glabrous inside.
3–6(–9);
corolla tubes pilose 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 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 compact, racemiform arrays.
in loose, racemiform arrays.
2.5–4 mm;
pappi: lengths ± equaling corollas, bristles barbellate.
3–3.5 mm;
pappi: lengths ± equaling corollas, bristles barbellate.
globose.
globose to subglobose.
= 20.
Liatris tenuifolia
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.)
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
