Intro: Erect-ascending biennial of moist to somewhat dry pine-oak woodlands and forests, longleaf pine sandhills, sandy fields and sandy roadsides.
Stems: Stems unbranched (except in inflorescence), reddish to green, smooth and leaking milky sap when broken.
Leaves: Leaves mostly basal and alternate on the stem, with clasping bases, linear to oblong-lance-shaped, 4-12 in. long (reduced upward), entire to irregularly lobed or toothed (upper ones entire), mostly smooth.
Inforescence:
Flowers: Compound flowers (heads) in wide-branching cluster occupying nearly upper half of stem; heads nearly 1/2 in. wide, consisting of 15-24 blue to violet ray florets with squared-off, toothed tips; the cylindric base of each head composed of tightly held, lance-shaped, purple-tinged green bracts.
Fruits: Fruit a fluffy cluster of flattened, white-tufted achenes.
Comments:
Height: 1 1/2-3 ft.
plant sale text:
bloom table text:
description: Erect-ascending biennial of moist to somewhat dry pine-oak woodlands and forests, longleaf pine sandhills, sandy fields and sandy roadsides.
stems: Stems unbranched (except in inflorescence), reddish to green, smooth and leaking milky sap when broken.
leaves: Leaves mostly basal and alternate on the stem, with clasping bases, linear to oblong-lance-shaped, 4-12 in. long (reduced upward), entire to irregularly lobed or toothed (upper ones entire), mostly smooth.
inflorescence:
flowers: Compound flowers (heads) in wide-branching cluster occupying nearly upper half of stem; heads nearly 1/2 in. wide, consisting of 15-24 blue to violet ray florets with squared-off, toothed tips; the cylindric base of each head composed of tightly held, lance-shaped, purple-tinged green bracts.
fruits: Fruit a fluffy cluster of flattened, white-tufted achenes.
comments:
cultural notes:
germination code:
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