Buchnera americana Linnaeus. Common name: Prairie Bluehearts, American Bluehearts, Plains Bluehearts. Phenology: Jun-Sep; Aug-Oct. Habitat: Dry (seasonally moist) rocky, gravelly, or clayey soil of limestone glades, glades over mafic rock (such as diabase, gabbro, etc.), sand prairies, wet meadows, sandy roadsides. Distribution: From w. NY (historical) and s. ON west to MI, IL, MO, and s. KS, south to c. NC, GA, Panhandle FL, TX, and n. Mexico.

ID notes: In addition to the key characters given, B. americana is overall a larger and more robust plant than B. floridana, though both are quite variable in size, depending on the conditions in which they grow.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Other Comments: B. americana has apparently declined very greatly in our area (especially northward), probably owing to fire suppression in its habitats.

Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, F, FNA17, G, GrPl, GW2, Il, Mi, Mo3, NY, Pa, RAB, S, Tat, Tn, Tx, Va, W, Pennell (1935), Philcox (1965); < Buchnera americana L. — Fl7, Mex, NcTx, WH3; Buchnera americana L. Basionym: Buchnera americana L. 1753

Links to other floras: = Buchnera americana - FNA17

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FAC
• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU
• Great Plains: FAC
• Midwest: FAC
• Northcentral & Northeast: FAC

Heliophily ⓘ: 8