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Texas ironweed

prairie ironweed, smooth ironweed, western ironweed

Habit Plants 4–8(–10+) dm. Plants 3–12+ dm.
Stems

puberulent, glabrescent.

puberulent, glabrescent.

Leaves

basal and cauline;

blades ovate-lanceolate (basal) to narrowly lanceolate (distal), 5–12+ cm × (5–)12–25+ mm, l/w = 3–5 (basal) or 8–17 (distal), abaxially glabrate (pitted, awl-shaped hairs in pits), adaxially puberulent and/or scabrellous.

mostly cauline;

blades ± lanceolate, 5–12(–20+) cm × 5–18(–40+) mm, l/w = 5–9(–14+), abaxially glabrate (pitted, with awl-shaped hairs in pits), adaxially scabrellous, resin-gland-dotted (sometimes pitted).

Peduncles

1–35 mm.

1–8(–12+) mm.

Involucres

± obconic to hemispheric, 4.5–6 × 5–7 mm.

± campanulate, 5–7(–8+) × 4–6 mm.

Florets

12–24+.

12–25+.

Phyllaries

35–45+ in 5–6+ series, glabrescent, margins arachno-ciliolate, the outer lance-deltate, 1–32 mm, inner oblong to linear, 4–5(–6) mm, tips acute or rounded-apiculate.

25–35+ in 4–5+ series, glabrescent, margins arachno-ciliolate, the outer lance-ovate, 1–3 mm, inner oblong to linear-oblong, 5–7+ mm, tips acute or rounded-apiculate.

Heads

in open, paniculiform-scorpioid arrays.

in congested, corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

2–3 mm;

pappi usually whitish to stramineous (rarely purplish), outer scales or bristles 20+, 0.3–1+ mm, contrasting or intergrading with 20+, 6–7+ mm inner subulate scales or bristles.

3.5–4 mm;

pappi fuscous to purplish, outer subulate scales or bristles 20–30, 0.5–3+ mm, intergrading with 35–45+, 5–7+ mm inner subulate scales or bristles.

2n

= 34.

= 34.

Vernonia texana

Vernonia fasciculata

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat Pinelands, scrub oak woodlands, sandy or sandy-clay soils Bottomlands, ditches, low prairies
Elevation 60–200 m (200–700 ft) 100–1200 m (300–3900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; LA; MS; OK; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MN; MO; ND; NE; OH; OK; SD; WI; MB
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 19, p. 211. 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. missurica, V. noveboracensis, V. pulchella
V. acaulis, V. angustifolia, V. arkansana, V. baldwinii, V. blodgettii, 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 var. texana V. fasciculata subsp. corymbosa, V. fasciculata var. corymbosa
Name authority (A. Gray) Small: Fl. S.E. U.S., 1338. (1903) Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 94. (1803)
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