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cup plant, cup-plant rosinweed

compass plant

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

square, glabrous, hispid, or scabrous.

terete, hirsute, hispid, or scabrous.

Leaves

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.

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.

Ray florets

17–35;

corollas yellow.

27–38;

corollas yellow.

Disc florets

85–150 (–200);

corollas yellow.

100–275;

corollas yellow.

Phyllaries

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

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

Cypselae

8–12 × 5–9 mm;

pappi 0.5–1.5 mm.

10–18 × 6–12 mm;

pappi 1–3 mm.

2n

= 14.

Silphium perfoliatum

Silphium laciniatum

Phenology Flowering summer–early fall.
Habitat Prairies, open, disturbed sites
Elevation 50–600 m (200–2000 ft)
Distribution
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]
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]
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. 79. FNA vol. 21, p. 78.
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. laciniatum, S. mohrii, S. radula, S. terebinthinaceum, S. wasiotense
S. albiflorum, S. asteriscus, S. brachiatum, S. compositum, S. glutinosum, S. integrifolium, S. mohrii, S. perfoliatum, S. radula, S. terebinthinaceum, S. wasiotense
Subordinate taxa
S. perfoliatum var. connatum, S. perfoliatum var. perfoliatum
Synonyms S. laciniatum var. robinsonii
Name authority Linnaeus: Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 1232. (1759) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 919. (1753)
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