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Xerophyllum asphodeloides (Linnaeus) Nuttall. Common name: Turkeybeard, Beargrass, Mountain-asphodel. Phenology: May-Jun; Jul-Aug. Habitat: Dry ridges and slopes in the mountains, primarily in dry, strongly acidic sites which burn periodically, such as pine/heath woodlands and forests, heath balds, and xeric oak forests, most of the populations in the Blue Ridge Escarpment, often associated with Pinus rigida or P. pungens, disjunct to similar sites on quartzite monadnocks of the upper Piedmont, in the Coastal Plain in acidic pinelands, and rarely in montane bogs. Distribution: In two disjunct areas; the Coastal Plain of s. NJ and DE, and the Southern Appalachians from w. VA and e. WV south to e. TN, w. NC, nw. SC, ne. GA, and ne. AL.

Origin/Endemic status: Endemic

Synonymy ⓘ: = C, F, FNA26, G, K4, NS, POWO, RAB, S, S13, Tat, Tn, Va, W, WV, Zomlefer (1997a). Basionym: Helonias asphodeloides L. 1762

Links to other floras: = Xerophyllum asphodeloides - FNA26

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Heliophily ⓘ: 7

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image of plant© Alan M. Cressler | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Edwin Bridges | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Jim Fowler | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© J.W. Hardin | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Will Stuart | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Erect perennial from a clump of grass-like leaves, found on dry ridges and slopes, primarily strongly acidic sites that burn periodically, such as pine/heath woodlands and forests, heath balds and xeric oak forests.

Stems:

Leaves: Basal leaves linear, to 30 in. long and arching from crown; stem leaves alternate, similar but progressively smaller upward.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers in a compact, cylindrical terminal raceme that elongates with age, blooming from the bottom up, white, ½ in. or less wide, consisting of 6 widely spreading, lance-shaped tepals and 6 stamens encircling an ovary.

Fruits: Fruit a 3-lobed capsule.

Comments:

Height: 1-4 1/2 ft.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Erect perennial from a clump of grass-like leaves, found on dry ridges and slopes, primarily strongly acidic sites that burn periodically, such as pine/heath woodlands and forests, heath balds and xeric oak forests.

stems:

leaves: Basal leaves linear, to 30 in. long and arching from crown; stem leaves alternate, similar but progressively smaller upward.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers in a compact, cylindrical terminal raceme that elongates with age, blooming from the bottom up, white, ½ in. or less wide, consisting of 6 widely spreading, lance-shaped tepals and 6 stamens encircling an ovary.

fruits: Fruit a 3-lobed capsule.

comments:

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range:



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