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compass plant

cup plant, cup-plant rosinweed

Habit Plants scapiform, (40–)100–300 cm; taprooted. Plants caulescent, 75–300 cm; fibrous rooted.
Stems

terete, hirsute, hispid, or scabrous.

square, glabrous, hispid, or scabrous.

Leaves

basal persistent, petiolate or sessile;

cauline petiolate or sessile;

blades lanceolate, linear, ovate, or rhombic, 4–60 × 1–30 cm, usually (proximal) 1–2-pinnately lobed, bases attenuate to truncate, ultimate margins unevenly toothed or entire, apices acute, faces hirsute, hispid, or scabrous.

basal caducous;

cauline usually opposite, rarely whorled (in 3s), petiolate or sessile;

blades deltate, lanceolate, or ovate, 2–41 × 0.5–24 cm, bases attenuate or truncate (distal connate-perfoliate), margins entire, dentate, or bidentate, apices acuminate to acute, faces scabrous to hispid.

Ray florets

27–38;

corollas yellow.

17–35;

corollas yellow.

Disc florets

100–275;

corollas yellow.

85–150 (–200);

corollas yellow.

Phyllaries

25–45 in 2–3 series, outer reflexed or appressed, apices acuminate to caudate, abaxial faces hispid to scabrous, ± stipitate-glandular.

25–37 in 2–3 series, outer appressed, apices acute to acuminate, abaxial faces scabrous or hispid.

Cypselae

10–18 × 6–12 mm;

pappi 1–3 mm.

8–12 × 5–9 mm;

pappi 0.5–1.5 mm.

2n

= 14.

Silphium laciniatum

Silphium perfoliatum

Phenology Flowering summer–early fall.
Habitat Prairies, open, disturbed sites
Elevation 50–600 m (200–2000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MI; MN; MO; MS; NE; NM; NY; OH; OK; PA; SD; TN; TX; WI; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; ND; NE; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Stems glabrous or sparsely scabrous; peduncles glabrous
var. connatum
1. Stems glabrous, hispid, or scabrous; peduncles usually scabrous to hispid
var. perfoliatum
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 78. FNA vol. 21, p. 79.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Ecliptinae > Silphium Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Ecliptinae > Silphium
Sibling taxa
S. albiflorum, S. asteriscus, S. brachiatum, S. compositum, S. glutinosum, S. integrifolium, S. mohrii, S. perfoliatum, S. radula, S. terebinthinaceum, S. wasiotense
S. albiflorum, S. asteriscus, S. brachiatum, S. compositum, S. glutinosum, S. integrifolium, S. laciniatum, S. mohrii, S. radula, S. terebinthinaceum, S. wasiotense
Subordinate taxa
S. perfoliatum var. connatum, S. perfoliatum var. perfoliatum
Synonyms S. laciniatum var. robinsonii
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 919. (1753) Linnaeus: Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 1232. (1759)
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