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stemless ironweed

Florida ironweed

Habit Plants 4–6(–10) dm. Plants 2–3(–5+) dm.
Stems

± puberulent, glabrescent.

glabrous or glabrate.

Leaves

mostly basal;

blades oblong-elliptic to spatulate (basal, the distal narrower), 11–25(–30) cm × (21–)60–75+ mm, l/w = 2–4(–5+), abaxially usually glabrous or glabrate, sometimes hirsutulous on veins, usually resin-gland-dotted, adaxially ± scabrellous or glabrate.

mostly cauline;

blades lance-linear to linear, 3–7+ cm × 2–8+ mm, l/w = 7–15+, abaxially scabrellous (hairs appressed, awl-shaped), resin-gland-dotted, adaxially scabrellous, glabrescent, resin-gland-dotted.

Peduncles

5–50 mm.

12–35 mm.

Involucres

campanulate to hemispheric, 5–10 × 6–7 mm.

campanulate to obconic, 6–8 × 6–10 mm.

Florets

30–40(–55+).

18–25+.

Phyllaries

40–60 in 5–6 series, glabrate, margins ciliolate, the outer lance-linear, 2–4 mm, inner lance-ovate to lance-subulate, 5–9 mm, tips subulate to filiform.

30–40+ in 4–5 series, puberulent, margins arachno-ciliate, the outer lance-ovate, 2–3 mm, inner lance-oblong to linear-oblong, 6–7 mm, tips acute or rounded-apiculate.

Heads

in loose, corymbiform arrays.

in open, corymbiform to paniculiform arrays.

Cypselae

2.5–3+ mm;

pappi whitish to stramineous, outer scales ca. 20, 0.6–1 mm, contrasting with 25–40, 5–7+ mm inner bristles.

2.5–3+ mm;

pappi stramineous to whitish, outer scales 25–30, 0.5–1.1 mm, contrasting with 30–40+, 5–7+ mm inner bristles.

2n

= 34.

= 34.

Vernonia acaulis

Vernonia blodgettii

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering year-round.
Habitat Open woods, pine savannas, bogs, disturbed places Damp, peaty or sandy soils
Elevation 10–300 m (0–1000 ft) 0–10 m (0–0 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; GA; NC; SC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL; West Indies (Bahamas)
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 19, p. 208. FNA vol. 19, p. 212.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Vernonieae > Vernonia Asteraceae > tribe Vernonieae > Vernonia
Sibling taxa
V. angustifolia, V. arkansana, V. baldwinii, V. blodgettii, V. fasciculata, V. flaccidifolia, V. gigantea, V. glauca, V. larseniae, V. lettermannii, V. lindheimeri, V. marginata, V. missurica, V. noveboracensis, V. pulchella, V. texana
V. acaulis, V. angustifolia, V. arkansana, V. baldwinii, V. fasciculata, V. flaccidifolia, V. gigantea, V. glauca, V. larseniae, V. lettermannii, V. lindheimeri, V. marginata, V. missurica, V. noveboracensis, V. pulchella, V. texana
Synonyms Chrysocoma acaulis
Name authority (Walter) Gleason: Bull. New York Bot. Gard. 4: 222. (1906) Small: Fl. S.E. U.S., 1160, 1338. (1903)
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