Liatris gracilis

Liatris gracilis
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. gracilis
Binomial name
Liatris gracilis Pursh
Natural range of Liatris gracilis from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common name: Slender blazing star

Taxonomic notes

Synonyms: Laciniaria laxa Small; Laciniaria gracilis (Pursh) Kuntze

Description

A description of Liatris gracilis is provided in The Flora of North America. Liatris gracilis is a perennial herbaceous species.

Ecology

Habitat

L. gracilis occurs in moist to dry loamy sand, sandy loam, or sandy clayey soils (FSU Herbarium). It can be found in longleaf pine-wiregrass flatwoods communities, mixed oak-pine woodlands, oak scrub, grasslands, sandhills, limestone outcroppings, and dry hammocks (FSU Herbarium). However, it can also be found in disturbed areas including roadsides, clear-cuts, waste ground, power line corridors, and old fields (FSU Herbarium).

Associated species include Liatris elegans, L. chapmanii, L. spicata, L. tenuifolia, Agalinis, Trichostema, Dicerandra, Pinus palutris, Pinus clausa, Carphephorus pseudoliatris, Carya, Pinus elliottii, Carphephorus odoratissimus, C. paniculatus, Chrysopsis, Chrysopsis, Eupatorium, Solidago, Palafoxia, Aristida stricta, Myrica, Quercus virginiana, Serenoa repens, Pityopsis graminifolia var. graminifolia, Xyris, Andropogon, and Sporobolus floridanus (FSU Herbarium).

Phenology

Flowering has been observed in July through November, while fruiting has been observed in September through November (FSU Herbarium).

Seed dispersal

According to Kay Kirkman, a plant ecologist, this species disperses by wind.

Fire ecology

This species occurs in habitat that is maintained by frequent or annual fire (FSU Herbarium).

Photo Gallery

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  Liatris gracilis

  Photo by Kevin Robertson

References and notes

Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: June 2014. Collectors: E. S. Ford, R.K. Godfrey, Loran C. Anderson, John Morrill, E. L. Tyson, Kurt E. Blum, D. B. Ward, Gary R. Knight, C. Jackson, H. A. Davis, Samuel B. Jones, Paul L. Redfearn, Jr., R. Kral, Almut G. Jones, Victoria I. Sullivan, R L Lazor, Olga Lakela, J. P. Gillespie, James D. Ray, Jr., Donald G. Randolph, Sidney McDaniel, J. B. Nelson, B. Cooper, Wendy Caster, Kurt E. Blum, John D. Lazor, Wilson Baker, A. F. Clewell, Roy Komarek, E. V. Komarek, T. MacClendon, Boothes, and Chris VanDerpoel. States and Counties: Florida: Alachua, Bay, Calhoun, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dade, Dixie, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Hillsborough, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Nassau, Okaloosa, Orange, Pasco, Polk, Santa Rosa, St Johns, Taylor, Union, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington. Georgia: Thomas.