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prairie rosinweed, prairie-dock

compass plant

Habit Plants scapiform, (40–)100–250+ cm; taprooted. Plants scapiform, (40–)100–300 cm; taprooted.
Stems

terete, glabrous.

terete, hirsute, hispid, or scabrous.

Leaves

basal persistent, petiolate;

cauline alternate, petiolate or sessile;

blades cordate, deltate, lanceolate, ovate, or sagittate, 3–40 × 1–40 cm, sometimes (proximal) pinnately lobed, bases attenuate, cordate, hastate, round, or truncate, ultimate margins coarsely toothed or entire, apices acuminate, acute, or obtuse, faces glabrous or scabrous.

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

17–29;

corollas yellow.

27–38;

corollas yellow.

Disc florets

120–140;

corollas yellow.

100–275;

corollas yellow.

Phyllaries

23–33 in 2–3 series, outer appressed, apices obtuse to acute, abaxial faces glabrous.

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

Cypselae

7–13 × 4–10 mm;

pappi 0–1 mm.

10–18 × 6–12 mm;

pappi 1–3 mm.

2n

= 14.

Silphium terebinthinaceum

Silphium laciniatum

Phenology Flowering summer–early fall.
Habitat Prairies, open, disturbed sites
Elevation 50–600 m (200–2000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; GA; IA; IL; IN; KY; MI; MO; MS; NC; NE; NY; OH; SC; TN; VA; WI; 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 the flora).

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

Key
1. Leaves pinnately lobed
var. pinnatifidum
1. Leaves not lobed
var. terebinthinaceum
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 78. 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. perfoliatum, S. radula, 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. terebinthinaceum var. pinnatifidum, S. terebinthinaceum var. terebinthinaceum
Synonyms S. laciniatum var. robinsonii
Name authority Jacquin: Hort. Bot. Vindob. 1: 16, plate 43. (1770) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 919. (1753)
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