Liatris helleri T.C. Porter. Heller's Blazing-star. Phen: Jul-mid Sep. Hab: High elevation rock outcrops, sometimes on ledges of precipitous cliffs, rocky openings in heath balds. Dist: 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: = K1, RAB, SE1, W, Gaiser (1946), Godfrey (1948); = Laciniaria helleri (Porter) Porter ex Heller – S; < Liatris helleri Porter – FNA21, K3, K4, Nesom (2005c)

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