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tall ironweed

Tennessee ironweed

Habit Plants 5–10+ dm. Plants 10–20+ dm.
Stems

sparsely appressed-puberulent, glabrescent.

glabrous.

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 ± lanceolate, 10–25(–30+) cm × 15–35(–60+) mm, l/w = 5–7+, abaxially puberulous, not resin-gland-dotted, adaxially scabrellous, glabrescent, not resin-gland-dotted.

Peduncles

8–25 mm.

1–8(–15) mm.

Involucres

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

broadly campanulate to hemispheric, 4–5+ × 4–5 mm.

Florets

12–20(–30).

15–25+.

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.

30–45+ in 5–6 series, glabrescent, margins ciliolate, the outer lance-ovate, 1–3 mm, inner lance-oblong to oblong, 3.5–5 mm, tips rounded.

Heads

in ± corymbiform to paniculiform arrays.

in paniculiform-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.

3–3.5 mm;

pappi stramineous to whitish, outer scales 25–35, 0.8–1.1 mm, contrasting with 35–45+, 5–6+ mm inner bristles.

2n

= 34.

= 34.

Vernonia angustifolia

Vernonia flaccidifolia

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Aug.
Habitat Pine barrens, oak woodlands Disturbed places in woodlands
Elevation 10–50 m (0–200 ft) 90–400 m (300–1300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; GA; TN
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 19, p. 209. FNA vol. 19, p. 212.
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. baldwinii, V. blodgettii, V. fasciculata, 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
Name authority Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 94. (1803) Small: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 25: 144. (1898)
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