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narrowleaf ironweed, slimleaf ironweed

Missouri ironweed

Habit Plants (2–)5–6+ dm. Plants 6–12(–20+) dm.
Stems

glabrous or glabrate.

puberulent.

Leaves

mostly cauline;

blades filiform, 5–9+ cm × 1–3+ mm, l/w = 25–50+, abaxially glabrate (pitted, awl-shaped hairs in pits), adaxially puberulent, glabrescent (sometimes pitted).

mostly cauline;

blades elliptic to lance-ovate or lanceolate, 6–16(–20+) cm × 18–48+ mm, l/w = 2.5–4(–6+), abaxially usually puberulent to tomentose or pannose (hairs ± erect, ± curled), seldom glabrate, resin-gland-dotted, adaxially scabrellous, glabrescent, not resin-gland-dotted.

Peduncles

6–20+ mm.

3–35 mm.

Involucres

narrowly campanulate, 7–9(–10+) × 4–5+ mm.

broadly campanulate to urceolate, (6–)7–10+ × 5–9+ mm.

Florets

10–12+.

30–55+.

Phyllaries

30–40+ in 5–6+ series, sparsely tomentose, glabrescent, margins arachno-ciliolate, the outer lanceolate to subulate, 1–3 mm, inner oblong to lanceolate, 5–7+ mm, tips acute.

50–70+ in 6–7 series, sparsely scabrellous, glabrescent (seldom resin-gland-dotted), margins ciliolate, the outer lanceolate, 1–2 mm, inner linear-oblong to oblong, 6–7(–9+) mm, tips acute or rounded-apiculate.

Heads

in corymbiform arrays.

in corymbiform-scorpioid arrays.

Cypselae

3–4 mm;

pappi fuscous to purplish, outer scales 25+, 0.1–0.5 mm, contrasting with 35+, 6–7+ mm inner bristles.

3.5–4;

pappi stramineous to whitish, outer scales 25–30, 0.5–1.1 mm, contrasting with 35–40+, 6–8+ mm inner bristles.

2n

= 34.

= 34.

Vernonia lettermannii

Vernonia missurica

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat Flood plains, terraces Prairies, loamy to sandy soils
Elevation 100–200 m (300–700 ft) 30–200 m (100–700 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; OK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MI; MO; MS; OK; TN; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 19, p. 211. 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. glauca, V. larseniae, 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. gigantea, V. glauca, V. larseniae, V. lettermannii, V. lindheimeri, V. marginata, V. noveboracensis, V. pulchella, V. texana
Name authority Engelmann ex A. Gray: Notes Compositae, 78. (1880) Rafinesque: Herb. Raf., 28. (1833)
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