Liatris acidota
(Sharp Gayfeather)
Liatris acidota, Scrappin’ Valley, Newton Co. 3715
Liatris acidota, Scrappin’ Valley, Newton Co. 3723
Liatris acidota, Scrappin’ Valley, Newton Co. 3723
Liatris acidota, Scrappin’ Valley, Newton Co. 3718
| Scientific Name | Liatris acidota | USDA PLANTS Symbol | LIAC |
| Common Name | Sharp Gayfeather, Sharp Blazing Star | ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. | 37907 |
| Family | Asteraceae (Sunflower) | SEINet Reference |
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| Description | Habitat: Various soil types (sands, loams, clays) in damp to wet areas of coastal prairies, savannas, oak-pine woodlands, ditches and roadsides. Plant: Erect perennial with slender, smooth, stiff stems, 20 to 32 inches tall, solitary or in groups of 3 to 4. Leaves: Very narrow, long, smooth basal and stem leaves, linear-lanceolate, 4 to 16 inches long and 0.1 to 0.2-inch wide, becoming much smaller and bract-like on upper half of stem and upwards. Inflorescence: Many flower heads spaced out in a long spike along the upper 4 to 8 inches of the stem, each with 3 to 5 lavender to bluish-purple florets (rays are absent); each corolla about 1/3-inch long with 5 flared, pointed lobes; involucre containing the florets has a few green to purple phyllaries in 3 to 4 layers, oblong-oblanceolate to oblong-lanceolate in shape and of unequal length with acuminate to acutetips. Bloom Period: July to December. References: "Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas" by Correll and Johnston, "Wildflowers of Texas" by Michael Eason and SEINet. |
BONAP Distribution Map Map Color Key |
Texas Status: Native |
Banner photo of Castilleja indivisa and Lupinus ssp. taken along FM 1323 north of Johnson City, Blanco County
© Tom Lebsack 2024