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Appalachian ironweed, broad-leaf ironweed

giant ironweed, tall ironweed

Habit Plants 6–10+ dm. Plants 8–20(–30+) dm.
Stems

sparsely appressed-puberulent, glabrescent.

puberulent, glabrescent.

Leaves

mostly cauline;

blades lanceolate to oblanceolate, 10–15(–18+) cm × 30–45(–70+) mm, l/w = 2.5–3.5(–4), abaxially scabrellous (hairs awl-shaped), resin-gland-dotted or not, adaxially glabrous or sparsely puberulent.

mostly cauline;

blades ± lanceolate, 12–25+ cm × 20–60+ mm, l/w = (3.5–)4–7+, abaxially scabrellous (hairs awl-shaped), sometimes glabrescent, not or sparsely resin-gland-dotted, adaxially strigillose, glabrescent, not resin-gland-dotted.

Peduncles

2–35 mm.

1–12(–20+) mm.

Involucres

± hemispheric, 5–8 × 7–8 mm.

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

Florets

30–45+.

(9–)18–24(–30).

Phyllaries

40–60 in 5–6 series, sparsely puberulent to tomentulose, glabrescent, margins ciliolate, the outer lance-deltate to subulate, 1–3 mm, inner oblong, 4–7+ mm, tips acuminate to subulate or filiform.

30–40+ in 4–5 series, glabrate, margins ciliolate, the outer lance-ovate, 1–2 mm, inner oblong, 3.5–5 mm, tips acute or rounded-apiculate.

Heads

in corymbiform to paniculiform arrays.

in corymbiform-scorpioid arrays.

Cypselae

3–4 mm;

pappi stramineous to whitish, outer subulate scales or bristles 30, 0.5–1.5+ mm, intergrading with 30+, 6–8 mm inner subulate scales or bristles.

2.5–3.5 mm;

pappi usually purplish, sometimes stramineous, outer scales 20–25, 0.5–1 mm, contrasting with 35–40+, 4.5–6+ mm inner bristles.

2n

= 34.

= 34.

Vernonia glauca

Vernonia gigantea

Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep. Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat Dry fields, marshes Flood plains
Elevation 10–400 m (0–1300 ft) 10–300 m (0–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; DC; DE; GA; MA; MD; NC; NJ; PA; SC; VA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; NE; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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. angustifolia, V. arkansana, V. baldwinii, V. blodgettii, V. fasciculata, V. flaccidifolia, V. gigantea, 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. flaccidifolia, V. glauca, V. larseniae, V. lettermannii, V. lindheimeri, V. marginata, V. missurica, V. noveboracensis, V. pulchella, V. texana
Synonyms Serratula glauca Chrysocoma gigantea, V. altissima, V. altissima var. taeniotricha, V. gigantea subsp. ovalifolia, V. ovalifolia
Name authority (Linnaeus) Willdenow: Sp. Pl. 3: 1633. (1803) (Walter) Branner & Coville: Rep. (Annual) Arkansas Geol. Surv. 4: 189. (1891)
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