Family - Asteraceae

Stems - To 60cm tall, simple, from fibrous roots, with milky sap, pubescent (pubescence consists of stellate, strigose, papillose-hispid, and appressed hairs). Hairs often purplish at base.

Lower stem.

Upper stem.

Leaves - Mostly basal but one or two on very lowest portion of erect stem. Blades typically entire, rounded to acute at apex, oblanceolate to obovate or spatulate, pubescent with pubescence as stem, 9-10cm long, +2.6cm broad.

Basal leaves in situ.

Inflorescence - Cylindric paniculate or racemose arrangement of flower heads. Pubescence of inflorescence glandular and often purplish.

Involucre - 1cm long(tall), 3-4mm in diameter. Phyllaries with purple glandular pubescence on midveins. Outer series of phyllaries small. Inner phyllaries to 8.1mm long, linear, 1-1.5mm broad, glabrous internally, with scarious margins.

Involucre.

Ray flowers - Ligules yellow, to 1.2cm long, 1.5-2mm broad, 5-6 toothed at apex. Style yellow, bifurcate, to +/-1cm long. Pappus of capillary bristles. Achenes to 4mm long.

Flowering - May - October.

Habitat - Dry woods, rocky soil, bluffs, glades, thickets, fields.

Origin - Native to U.S.

Other info. - This plant is distinctive and tough to miss in the wild. The scabrous leaves and long inflorescence make it easy to ID. The amount and type of pubescence can vary greatly from plant to plant and the plants I have found in New England and North Carolina were much less pubescent than those I've found here in Missouri. This species produces a fair portion of milky sap if injured.

Photographs taken in Brown Summit, NC., 8-11-02.