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Missouri ironweed

ironplant, plains ironweed

Habit Plants 6–12(–20+) dm. Plants 3–5(–8+) dm.
Stems

puberulent.

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 narrowly lanceolate to lance-linear, 5–15+ cm × (2.5–)8–12+ mm, l/w = 8–20(–30+), abaxially glabrate (pitted, awl-shaped hairs in pits), adaxially puberulent, glabrescent (sometimes pitted).

Peduncles

3–35 mm.

(3–)10–35 mm.

Involucres

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

narrowly campanulate, (7–)9–11 × 5–6 mm.

Florets

30–55+.

10–25+.

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.

35–40+ in 5–6+ series, glabrescent, margins arachno-ciliolate, the outer lance-ovate, 1–2 mm, inner oblong to linear-oblong, 6–9+ mm, tips ± acuminate.

Heads

in corymbiform-scorpioid arrays.

in corymbiform 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.

4–5 mm;

pappi stramineous to purplish, outer subulate scales or bristles 30+, 0.6–2+ mm, intergrading with 40+, 8–9+ mm inner subulate scales or bristles.

2n

= 34.

= 34.

Vernonia missurica

Vernonia marginata

Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep. Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Prairies, loamy to sandy soils Ditches, sandy flats, stream banks
Elevation 30–200 m (100–700 ft) 600–2000 m (2000–6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MI; MO; MS; OK; TN; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; KS; NM; OK; TX; Mexico (Coahuila)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 19, p. 212. FNA vol. 19, p. 211.
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. angustifolia, V. arkansana, V. baldwinii, V. blodgettii, V. fasciculata, V. flaccidifolia, V. gigantea, V. glauca, V. larseniae, V. lettermannii, V. lindheimeri, V. missurica, V. noveboracensis, V. pulchella, V. texana
Synonyms V. altissima var. marginata
Name authority Rafinesque: Herb. Raf., 28. (1833) (Torrey) Rafinesque: Atlantic J. 1: 146. (1832)
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