Silphium compositum Michaux var. compositum . Common name: Carolina Rosinweed. Phenology: May-Sep. Habitat: Longleaf pine sandhills, other xeric forests and woodlands, roadbanks. Distribution: As currently broadly circumscribed, distributed from VA south to GA, and west to AL.
Origin/Endemic status: Endemic
Taxonomy Comments: Perhaps worth dividing further into two taxa: S. compositum sensu stricto, restricted to the Coastal Plain and extreme lower Piedmont, and distributed from se VA through the Carolina Coastal Plain to extreme e. GA, a distribution very similar to those of Carphephorus bellidifolius, Cirsium repandum, and Vaccinium crassifolium; and S. collinum Greene, with less deeply lobed leaves, and distributed from se. and sc. VA, nc. NC, sw. NC and ne. AL south to sc. SC, c. GA, and ec. AL.
Synonymy ⓘ: = Va, Perry (1937); = Silphium compositum Michx. — F; = Silphium compositum Michx. ssp. compositum — Sweeney (1970); > Silphium collinum Greene; < Silphium compositum Michx. — C, FNA21, G, K4, SE1, Tn, W; > Silphium compositum Michx. — S; < Silphium compositum Michx. var. compositum — RAB; > Silphium orae Small — S
Links to other floras: < Silphium compositum - FNA21
Heliophily ⓘ: 8
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Horticultural Information
Intro: Tall, erect perennial of dry woodlands, clearings, meadows, sandhills and road banks.
Stems: Stems flexible and wand-like, leafy toward base (few leaf-like bracts above), smooth, often with white-waxy coating.
Leaves: Leaves alternate but clustered near base of stem, long-petiolate, oval to kidney-shaped, to 14 in. long (reduced upward), toothed to deeply pinnately lobed, thick, smooth or hairy, often with a red mid-vein.
Inforescence:
Flowers: Compound flowers (heads) in a loosely forking, terminal cluster; heads to 2 in. wide, consisting of 6-12 bright yellow ray florets encircling a central disk of 20 or more tiny, dull yellow, tubular florets; several series of green, broadly oval bracts surround the cup-like base of each head.
Fruits:
Comments: Silphium compositum var. ovatifolium and Silphium compositum var. venosum . . . ?
Height: 1 1/2-8 ft.
plant sale text:
bloom table text:
description: Tall, erect perennial of dry woodlands, clearings, meadows, sandhills and road banks.
stems: Stems flexible and wand-like, leafy toward base (few leaf-like bracts above), smooth, often with white-waxy coating.
leaves: Leaves alternate but clustered near base of stem, long-petiolate, oval to kidney-shaped, to 14 in. long (reduced upward), toothed to deeply pinnately lobed, thick, smooth or hairy, often with a red mid-vein.
inflorescence:
flowers: Compound flowers (heads) in a loosely forking, terminal cluster; heads to 2 in. wide, consisting of 6-12 bright yellow ray florets encircling a central disk of 20 or more tiny, dull yellow, tubular florets; several series of green, broadly oval bracts surround the cup-like base of each head.
fruits:
comments: Silphium compositum var. ovatifolium and Silphium compositum var. venosum . . . ?
cultural notes:
germination code: 2
native range: