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pine-needle gayfeather, shortleaf blazing star, shortleaf gayfeather

narrow-leaf blazing-star, smallhead blazing star, smallhead gayfeather

Habit Plants 40–150 cm. Plants 30–80 cm.
Stems

glabrous or sparsely pilose.

glabrous.

Leaves

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 to linear-lanceolate, 80–200 × 1–3(–4, –6) mm, gradually reduced or abruptly reduced on distal 1/2 of stems, essentially glabrous.

Peduncles

(ascending) 1–7 mm.

0 or (ascending) 1–12 mm.

Involucres

turbinate-campanulate, 5–7 × 4–5 mm.

turbinate-cylindric, 5–7(–9) × 3–4 mm.

Florets

4–6;

corolla tubes glabrous inside.

4–5(–6);

corolla tubes glabrous inside.

Phyllaries

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, oblong to oblong-obovate, strongly unequal, essentially glabrous, margins with hyaline borders, apices rounded.

Heads

in compact, racemiform arrays.

in loose to dense, spiciform arrays (internodes to 8 mm).

Cypselae

2.5–4 mm;

pappi: lengths ± equaling corollas, bristles barbellate.

3–3.5 mm;

pappi: lengths ± 1/2 corollas, bristles barbellate.

Corms

globose.

globose (fibrous roots often densely covering whole structure).

2n

= 20, 60.

Liatris tenuifolia

Liatris microcephala

Phenology Flowering Aug–Nov. Flowering (Jul–)Aug–Oct.
Habitat Longleaf pine savannas, longleaf pine-scrub oak, turkey oak-bluejack oak, slash pine-sand pine-scrub, sand pine-scrub, sand ridges, hills, and flats, roadsides Outcrops of granite and sandstone, rocky slopes, sandy stream banks, openings in pine-oak, oak barrens
Elevation 10–100 m (0–300 ft) 200–600 m (700–2000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; SC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; GA; KY; NC; SC; TN
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 526. FNA vol. 21, p. 530.
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. hirsuta, 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. 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. 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
Synonyms Lacinaria tenuifolia Lacinaria microcephala, Lacinaria polyphylla
Name authority Nuttall: Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 2: 131. (1818) (Small) K. Schumann: Just’s Bot. Jahresber. 26(1): 378. (1900)
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