Contains 17 accepted taxa overall.
Characteristics
The genus Carphephorus s.s. may possibly be subsumed into Liatris, while its other traditional members related to Hartwrightia are accommodated in the genera Litrisa and Trilisa (Schilling 2011).
Classification
Citation
LIATRIS Gaertner ex Schreber, Gen. Pl. 542. 1791, nom. cons. vs. Lacinaria Hill 1762.
-
TYPE: Liatris squarrosa (Linnaeus) Michaux, typ. cons. (Serratula squarrosa Linnaeus)
Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Herbarium Specimens | Status | Photos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liatris aspera | Rough Blazing-star | |||
| Liatris cokeri | Sandhills Blazing-star | |||
| Liatris elegans var. elegans | Common Elegant Blazing-star | |||
| Liatris elegans var. kralii | Kral's Elegant Blazing-star | |||
| Liatris elegantula | Shaggy Blazing Star | |||
| Liatris gracilis | Slender Blazing-star | |||
| Liatris microcephala | Small-head Blazing-star | |||
| Liatris patens | Georgia Blazing-star | |||
| Liatris pilosa | Shaggy Blazing-star | |||
| Liatris resinosa | ||||
| Liatris scariosa | Northern Blazing-star | |||
| Liatris secunda | Sandhill Blazing-star | |||
| Liatris spicata | Florist's Gayfeather | |||
| Liatris squarrosa var. squarrosa | Scaly Gayfeather | |||
| Liatris squarrulosa | Appalachian Gayfeather | |||
| Liatris tenuifolia | Shortleaf Gayfeather | |||
| Liatris virgata | Wand Blazing Star |
Identification Key
1. Rootstock elongate-tuberous to taprooted; heads in corymbiform to racemiform arrays; peduncle (often scaly) 10-75 mm long; involucre 17-27 mm long, 14-26 mm wide
1. Rootstock usually globose (except in L. garberi); heads in racemiform to spiciform arrays; peduncle (often scaly) 0-15(25) mm long; involucre 4-25 mm wide
2
2. Pappus bristles plumose, the segments flexible and to 1 mm long
3
2. Pappus bristles barbellate, the segments stiff and to 0.4 mm long
4
3. Involucre 4-8 mm wide, the outer phyllaries 1-2 mm wide; inner phyllaries petaloid, white to pink; heads with 4-6 flowers
3. Involucre 10-25 mm wide, the outer phyllaries 2-3 mm wide; inner phyllaries not petaloid, similar to outer ones; heads with (10)20-45(60) flowers
4. Stems glabrous to sparsely pilose
5
4. Stems puberulent, hispidulous, pilose, hirsute, to strigose, glandular
11
5. Middle and inner phyllary apices truncate, obtuse, to rounded (rarely acute)
6
5. Middle and inner phyllary apices mucronate, cuspidate, apiculate, acute, to acuminate
8
6. Cauline leaves spreading, divergent; heads in loose to dense arrays (internodes 2–14 mm); involucres 5-7 m wide
6. Cauline leaves ascending; heads in moderately dense arrays; involucre 4-12 mm wide
7
7. Stem and leaves glandular-punctate; leaf margins with some hairs >1 mm long; corolla tube inside pilose
7. Stem and leaves eglandular to weakly glandular-punctate; leaf margins with hairs <0.9 mm long; corolla tube inside glabrous
8. Involucres 10-15 mm long; phyllary apices acute to acuminate
8. Involucres 5-9 mm long; phyllary apices retuse, mucronate, cuspidate, or apiculate
9
9. Basal leaves 1-2(2.5) mm wide, margins usually ciliate proximally, faces glandular-punctate; inner phyllaries usually emarginate-mucronate, lacerate-denticulate
9. Basal leaves (1)2-6(10) mm wide, margins not ciliate, faces (minutely white-dotted by stomates) eglandular or weakly glandular-punctate; inner phyllaries usually obtuse-mucronate
10
10. Culms (40)50-80(120) cm tall, 4-6 mm wide, the inflorescence ca. half of the culm height; leaves in a well-defined, densely leafy basal rosette, (4)5-7(10) mm wide and 15-20 cm long, mostly lax and spreading; flowering mostly Jul-Sep
10. Culms (60)75-100(150) cm tall, 2-3 mm wide, the inflorescence ca. 1/4 of the culm height; leaves in a diffuse, few-leaved basal rosette, 2-3 mm wide and 20-30 cm long, mostly somewhat ascending; flowering Oct-Nov
11. Involucre (6)8-20 mm wide; florets 11-30
12
11. Involucre 2.5-10 mm wide
13
12. Phyllaries bullate, the hyaline margin relatively wide and erose, lacerate, or irregular
12. Phyllaries not bullate, the hyaline margin narrow to absent, entire
13. Peduncles 0-2(3) mm long
14
13. Peduncles 4-20(30) mm long (if 0-3 mm long, then heads usually secund)
15
14. Heads rigidly ascending, appressed to rachises and each other, overlapping; phyllary margins usually not ciliolate, apices erect to ascending
14. Heads spreading to ascending, not strongly overlapping; phyllary margins ciliolate, apices ascending to slightly spreading
15. Involucre 10-15 mm long; heads often secund
15. Involucre 4-10 mm long; heads usually not secund
16
16. Peduncles 10-25(30) mm long; involucres 5-7 mm wide; phyllary apices rounded to subtruncate; florets 7-12
16. Peduncles 0-10(12) mm long; involucres 2.5-5 mm wide; phyllary apices rounded, obtuse, acute, to acuminate; florets 3-10
17
17. Rootstock elongate-tuberous; involucre 8-10 mm long; florets 6-10
17. Rootstock globose; involucre 4-6(7) mm long; florets 3-6(9)
18
18. Proximal cauline leaves (8)11-22(27) mm wide; floral bracts of proximalmost heads (1.8)2-6(10) mm wide; phyllaries usually acuminate to rarely obtuse
18. Proximal cauline leaves 3-8(10) mm wide; floral bracts of proximalmost heads 0.8-2.2 mm wide; phyllaries usually obtuse to rarely acute
Genus Synonyms
| Synonym | Full Citation | Basionym | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| No synonyms found. | |||