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Missouri ironweed

tall ironweed

Habit Plants 6–12(–20+) dm. Plants 5–10+ dm.
Stems

puberulent.

sparsely appressed-puberulent, glabrescent.

Leaves

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.

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.

Peduncles

3–35 mm.

8–25 mm.

Involucres

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

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

Florets

30–55+.

12–20(–30).

Phyllaries

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.

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.

Heads

in corymbiform-scorpioid arrays.

in ± corymbiform to paniculiform arrays.

Cypselae

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.

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.

2n

= 34.

= 34.

Vernonia missurica

Vernonia angustifolia

Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Prairies, loamy to sandy soils Pine barrens, oak woodlands
Elevation 30–200 m (100–700 ft) 10–50 m (0–200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MI; MO; MS; OK; TN; TX
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[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 19, p. 212. FNA vol. 19, p. 209.
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. lettermannii, V. lindheimeri, V. marginata, V. noveboracensis, V. pulchella, V. texana
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
Synonyms V. angustifolia subsp. mohrii, V. angustifolia subsp. scaberrima, V. angustifolia var. scaberrima, V. scaberrima
Name authority Rafinesque: Herb. Raf., 28. (1833) Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 94. (1803)
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