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tall ironweed

Baldwin's ironweed

Habit Plants 5–10+ dm. Plants 6–10(–15) dm.
Stems

sparsely appressed-puberulent, glabrescent.

puberulent to ± tomentose.

Leaves

mostly cauline;

blades (mid stem) lance-linear to filiform, 5–12 cm × 2–4(–8+) mm, l/w = (8–)12–30(–60+), abaxially glabrous but for scattered hairs on midribs or scabrellous (hairs awl-shaped), resin-gland-dotted or not, adaxially scabrellous.

mostly cauline;

blades elliptic to lance-ovate or lanceolate, 8–15(–18+) cm × 20–45(–75+) mm, l/w = 2–5, abaxially usually puberulent to tomentose or pannose (hairs ± erect, ± curled), seldom glabrate, resin-gland-dotted, adaxially scabrellous, glabrescent, not resin-gland-dotted.

Peduncles

8–25 mm.

1–25 mm.

Involucres

± campanulate to obconic, 5–7(–10) × 4–6(–9) mm.

broadly campanulate to hemispheric, 4–6(–8+) × 4–7+ mm.

Florets

12–20(–30).

(15–)20–25(–35+).

Phyllaries

22–45+ in 5–6 series, sparsely scabrellous, glabrescent, margins ciliolate, the outer lanceolate to subulate, 1.5–3 mm, inner lance-ovate to lanceolate, 5–9+ mm, tips acuminate to subulate.

45–65+ in 5–6 series, usually puberulent (often resin-gland-dotted distally), sometimes glabrescent, margins ciliolate, the outer lance-ovate, 1–2 mm, inner oblong to lanceolate, 5–8+ mm, tips rounded-apiculate to acute (sometimes recurved).

Heads

in ± corymbiform to paniculiform arrays.

in corymbiform-scorpioid arrays.

Cypselae

2.5–3 mm;

pappi stramineous to purplish, outer scales 25–30, 0.5–1.2+ mm, contrasting with 35–40+, 5.5–6+ mm inner bristles.

2.5–3 mm;

pappi fuscous to purplish, outer scales 25–30, 0.2–1 mm, contrasting with 35–40+, 5–7+ mm inner bristles.

2n

= 34.

= 34.

Vernonia angustifolia

Vernonia baldwinii

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Jun–Nov.
Habitat Pine barrens, oak woodlands Disturbed places, grasslands, flood plains, forest margins, prairies
Elevation 10–50 m (0–200 ft) 10–1100 m (0–3600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AR; CO; IA; IL; KS; KY; LA; MI; MO; NE; OK; TX
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Regarding Vernona baldwinii and V. interior, L. H. Shinners (1950) wrote, “The tips of the phyllaries vary from loosely appressed to squarrose, and from puberulent to almost completely glabrous on the inner face. The geographic distribution of the two extremes is nearly identical. I consider the two to be merely forms of one species.” I concur.

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

Source FNA vol. 19, p. 209. FNA vol. 19, p. 213.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Vernonieae > Vernonia Asteraceae > tribe Vernonieae > Vernonia
Sibling taxa
V. acaulis, 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. 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
Synonyms V. angustifolia subsp. mohrii, V. angustifolia subsp. scaberrima, V. angustifolia var. scaberrima, V. scaberrima V. baldwinii subsp. interior, V. baldwinii var. interior, V. interior
Name authority Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 94. (1803) Torrey: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 2: 211. (1827)
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