Liatris tenuifolia

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Liatris tenuifolia
Liatris tenuifolia Gil.jpg
Photo taken by Gil Nelson
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae ⁄ Compositae
Genus: Liatris
Species: L. tenuifolia
Binomial name
Liatris tenuifolia
Nutt.
LIAT TENU dist.jpg
Natural range of Liatris tenuifolia from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common name: shortleaf blazing star

Taxonomic notes

Description

A description of Liatris tenuifolia is provided in The Flora of North America.

Distribution

Ecology

L. tenuifolia experienced increased growth and flowering in burned sandhill sites located in south-central Florida.[1] [2] Also found in burned and unburned patches of degraded longleaf pine sandhill.[3]

Habitat

Habitats of L. tenuifolia include longleaf pine-turkey oak sand ridge, dry Quercus laurifolia hammock, scrub-oak ridge, semi-boggy areas, wet pine flatwoods and annually burned pinelands. Human disturbed areas include moist loamy sand of roadside depression, dry sand of scrubby ridges along roads, bordering pine flatwoods along the road, sandy clearings, open fields, and on the edge of clearing banks of river.


Availability of all soil inorganic nutrients examined (Ca, K, Mg, and P) was low, as were total nitrogen, soil organic matter, and pH.[4]

Phenology

Seed dispersal

Seed bank and germination

Fire improves seedling recruitment.[5]

Fire ecology

It responds positively to conditions following the burn by increased vegetative growth and flowering. It typically blooms within a year or so following fire.[4]

Pollination

The following Hymenoptera families and species were observed visiting flowers of Liatris tenuifolia at Archbold Biological Station (Deyrup 2015):

Apidae: Apis mellifera, Bombus impatiens, B. pennsylvanicus

Halictidae: Agapostemon splendens, Augochlorella aurata, Augochloropsis sumptuosa

Megachilidae: Coelioxys mexicana, C. sayi, Megachile albitarsis, M. brevis pseudobrevis, M. brimleyi, M. petulans, M. texana

Sphecidae: Ammophila procera


Use by animals

Diseases and parasites

Conservation and Management

Cultivation and restoration

Photo Gallery

Liatris tenuifolia with Gulf Fritillary.JPG

References and notes

Deyrup, M.A. and N.D. 2015. Database of observations of Hymenoptera visitations to flowers of plants on Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA.

  1. Anderson, R. C. and E. S. Menges (1997). "Effects of fire on sandhill herbs: nutrients, mycorrhizae, and biomass allocation." American Journal of Botany 84: 938-948.
  2. Reinhart, K. O. and E. S. Menges (2004). "Effects of re-introducing fire to a central Florida sandhill community." Applied Vegetation Science 7: 141-150.
  3. Heuberger, K. A. and F. E. Putz (2003). "Fire in the suburbs: ecological impacts of prescribed fire in small remnants of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) sandhill." Restoration Ecology 11: 72-81.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Anderson, R. C. and E. S. Menges (1997). "Effects of fire on sandhill herbs: nutrients, mycorrhizae, and biomass allocation." American Journal of Botany 84: 938-948.
  5. Whelan, W.A. 1970. Patterns of recruitment to plant populations after fire in western Australia and Florida. Proceedings of the Ecological Society of Australia 14:169-178.