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Liatris helleri T.C. Porter. Common name: Heller's Blazing-star. Phenology: Jul-mid Sep. Habitat: High elevation rock outcrops, sometimes on ledges of precipitous cliffs, rocky openings in heath balds. Distribution: Nw. NC, especially Grandfather Mountain and its southeastern slopes.

Origin/Endemic status: Endemic

Taxonomy Comments: Nesom (2005c) recommended lumping L. helleri and L. turgida. Recent molecular studies show strong molecular differentiation between the two, but with a narrower circumscription of L. helleri, with some higher elevation populations away from Grandfather Mountain (and Roan Mountain?) being better assigned to L. turgida. New morphological studies are planned to find characters to reliably differentiate what are here provisionally accepted as two species.

Synonymy : = RAB, SE1, W, Gaiser (1946), Godfrey (1948); = Laciniaria helleri (Porter) Porter ex A.Heller — S; < Liatris helleri Porter — FNA21, K4, Nesom (2005c)

Links to other floras: < Liatris helleri - FNA21

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image of plant© Chris Ulrey | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Will Stuart | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

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Comments: Heller&#39;s Blazing Star is an extremely rare and attractive native wildflower. Its habitat consists of rocky outcrops, ledges, cliffs and balds at high elevations in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. It is found growing in only seven sites. Heller&#39;s Blazing Star was known from two additional locations, but due to residential and recreational developments, plants have not been seen at these sites for the past 50 years, in spite of extensive searches. This species was probably never common due to its very restricted and isolated habitat requirements. Because there are so few left in the wild, Heller&#39;s Blazing Star is quite vulnerable to seemingly minor threats such as trampling by hikers, climbers, and sightseers.

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comments: Heller&#39;s Blazing Star is an extremely rare and attractive native wildflower. Its habitat consists of rocky outcrops, ledges, cliffs and balds at high elevations in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. It is found growing in only seven sites. Heller&#39;s Blazing Star was known from two additional locations, but due to residential and recreational developments, plants have not been seen at these sites for the past 50 years, in spite of extensive searches. This species was probably never common due to its very restricted and isolated habitat requirements. Because there are so few left in the wild, Heller&#39;s Blazing Star is quite vulnerable to seemingly minor threats such as trampling by hikers, climbers, and sightseers.

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native range: Mountains of North Carolina