''Liatris'' (), commonly known as gayfeather and blazing star. is a genus of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
Asteraceae
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...
native to
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
(Canada, United States, Mexico and
the Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...
). Some species are used as
ornamental plant
Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...
s, sometimes in flower bouquets. They are perennials, surviving the winter in the form of
corm
A corm, bulbo-tuber, or bulbotuber is a short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ that some plants use to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat (perennation).
The word ' ...
s.
''Liatris'' species are used as food plants by the
larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
The ...
e of some
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...
species including the flower moths ''
Schinia gloriosa
The bleeding flower moth (''Schinia sanguinea'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found from North Carolina to Florida, west to Texas, north to Montana. There is also a disjunct population in Ontario.
'' Schinia carmosina'' was elevated ...
'' and ''
Schinia sanguinea
The bleeding flower moth (''Schinia sanguinea'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found from North Carolina to Florida, west to Texas, north to Montana. There is also a disjunct population in Ontario.
'' Schinia carmosina'' was elevated ...
'', both of which feed exclusively on the genus, and '' Schinia tertia'' and ''
Schinia trifascia
''Schinia trifascia'', the three-lined flower moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1818. It is found in North America from Ontario and Massachusetts south to Florida and west to Arizona, C ...
''.
Classification
''Liatris'' is in the tribe Eupatorieae of the aster family. Like other members of this tribe, the flower heads have
disc floret
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...
s and no ray florets. ''Liatris'' is in the subtribe Liatrinae along with ''
Trilisa
''Trilisa'' is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Eupatorieae within the family Asteraceae.
Some taxonomists group ''Trilisa'' and ''Litrisa'' into the genus '' Carphephorus''.
; Species
* ''Trilisa odoratissima'' (J.F.Gmel.) Cass. - Loui ...
'', ''
Carphephorus
''Carphephorus'' is a genus of North American plants in the family Asteraceae. They are native to the southeastern United States from Louisiana to Virginia. Plants of this genus are known commonly as chaffheads. ''Liatris'' is closely related to ''
Garberia
''Garberia'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, containing the single species ''Garberia heterophylla''.
'', a genus with only one species
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. The two genera can be distinguished by the
shrub
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
form of the latter and by
karyotype
A karyotype is the general appearance of the complete set of metaphase chromosomes in the cells of a species or in an individual organism, mainly including their sizes, numbers, and shapes. Karyotyping is the process by which a karyotype is disce ...
.
Species
Species in the genus include:Flann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist GRIN Species Records of ''Liatris''. GRIN.Turner, B. L. 1997. The Comps of Mexico: A systematic account of the family Asteraceae, vol. 1 – Eupatorieae. Phytologia Memoirs 11: i–iv, 1–272
* ''
Liatris acidota
''Liatris acidota'', also known as the Gulf Coast gayfeather, sharp blazing star and sharp gayfeather, is a plant species in the family Asteraceae and genus ''Liatris''. It is native to Louisiana and Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Sp ...
Liatris aspera
''Liatris aspera'' (known as rough blazing star, button blazing star, lacerate blazing star, tall prairie blazing star, or tall gayfeather) is a perennial wildflower in the Asteraceae family that is found in central to eastern North America in ha ...
Mississippi Valley
The Mississippi River is the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest Drainage system (geomorphology), drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson B ...
,
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range (; also spelled Alleghany or Allegany), informally the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada and posed a significant barrier to land travel in less devel ...
Liatris cokeri
''Liatris cokeri'', also known as Coker's gayfeather and sandhills blazing star (a name it shares with '' Liatris pilosa''), is a plant species in the family Asteraceae and genus ''Liatris''. It is native to North and South Carolina in the United ...
Liatris compacta
''Liatris compacta'', sometimes called Arkansas gayfeather, is a herbaceous plant species in the family Asteraceae and genus ''Liatris''. It is native to the Ouachitas of west-central Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma in the central United States, w ...
Liatris cylindracea
''Liatris cylindracea'' (known as barrelhead blazing star, cylindric or cylindrical blazing star, Ontario blazing star, or dwarf blazing star) is a plant species in the family Asteraceae. It is native to eastern North America, where its populatio ...
'' – Ontario blazing star, fewhead blazing star - ONT, central + southeastern United States
* '' Liatris cymosa'' – branched blazing star - TX
* ''
Liatris × deamii
''Liatris'' (), commonly known as gayfeather and blazing star. is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Eupatorieae within the family Asteraceae native to North America (Canada, United States, Mexico and the Bahamas). Some species are used ...
Liatris fallacior
''Liatris'' (), commonly known as gayfeather and blazing star. is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Eupatorieae within the family Asteraceae native to North America (Canada, United States, Mexico and the Bahamas). Some species are used ...
Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...
* ''
Liatris gholsonii
''Liatris'' (), commonly known as gayfeather and blazing star. is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Eupatorieae within the family Asteraceae native to North America (Canada, United States, Mexico and the Bahamas). Some species are used ...
Liatris glandulosa
''Liatris'' (), commonly known as gayfeather and blazing star. is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Eupatorieae within the family Asteraceae native to North America (Canada, United States, Mexico and the Bahamas). Some species are used ...
Liatris gracilis
''Liatris gracilis'', the slender blazing-star or slender gayfeather, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in ove ...
Liatris hirsuta
''Liatris hirsuta'', commonly called hairy gayfeather, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to North America, where it is found primarily in the Midwestern and South-Central regions of the United States. Its typ ...
SAS
SAS or Sas may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''SAS'' (novel series), a French book series by Gérard de Villiers
* ''Shimmer and Shine'', an American animated children's television series
* Southern All Stars, a Japanese rock ba ...
ALB
The alb (from the Latin ''albus'', meaning ''white''), one of the liturgical vestments of the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Reformed and Congregational churches, is an ample white garment coming down to the ank ...
Liatris microcephala
''Liatris microcephala'', known by the common names smallhead blazing star and smallhead gayfeather, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the Southeastern United States, primarily to regions of the Cumberland ...
Liatris novae-angliae
''Liatris novae-angliae'', commonly known as the New England blazing-star, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.
Conservation status in the United States
It is endangered in New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. It is ...
'' – New England blazing-star
* '' Liatris ohlingerae'' – Florida blazing star, scrub blazing star - FL
* ''
Liatris oligocephala
''Liatris oligocephala'', the Cahaba torch, is a flowering plant in the genus ''Liatris'' (blazing stars). Its native range is very small, with all known populations being within Bibb County, Alabama, and therefore the species is of conservation ...
Liatris pilosa
''Liatris'' (), commonly known as gayfeather and blazing star. is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Eupatorieae within the family Asteraceae native to North America (Canada, United States, Mexico and the Bahamas). Some species are used ...
Liatris punctata
''Liatris punctata'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names dotted gayfeather, dotted blazingstar, and narrow-leaved blazingstar. It is native to North America, where it occurs throughout the plains of ...
SAS
SAS or Sas may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''SAS'' (novel series), a French book series by Gérard de Villiers
* ''Shimmer and Shine'', an American animated children's television series
* Southern All Stars, a Japanese rock ba ...
ALB
The alb (from the Latin ''albus'', meaning ''white''), one of the liturgical vestments of the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Reformed and Congregational churches, is an ample white garment coming down to the ank ...
eastern + central United States
Coahuila
Coahuila (), formally Coahuila de Zaragoza (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza), is one of the 32 states of Mexico.
Coahuila borders the Mexican states of N ...
,
Nuevo León
Nuevo León () is a state in the northeast region of Mexico. The state was named after the New Kingdom of León, an administrative territory from the Viceroyalty of New Spain, itself was named after the historic Spanish Kingdom of León. With a ...
,
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...
,
San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí), is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and i ...
* '' Liatris pycnostachya'' – prairie blazing star, button snakeroot, cattail gayfeather, thickspike gayfeather, Kansas gayfeather - QUE eastern United States
* ''
Liatris × ridgwayi
''Liatris'' (), commonly known as gayfeather and blazing star. is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Eupatorieae within the family Asteraceae native to North America (Canada, United States, Mexico and the Bahamas). Some species are used ...
Liatris scariosa
''Liatris scariosa'', called savanna blazing star, is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Liatris'', native to the US states of Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. It is Fire adaptations, fire-ad ...
'' – northern gayfeather, devil's bite - eastern + central United States
* ''
Liatris × serotina
''Liatris'' (), commonly known as gayfeather and blazing star. is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Eupatorieae within the family Asteraceae native to North America (Canada, United States, Mexico and the Bahamas). Some species are used ...
Liatris spicata
''Liatris spicata'', the dense blazing star or prairie feather, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to eastern North America where it grows in moist prairies and sedge meadows.
The plants have tall ...
'' – dense blazing star, button snakewort, florist gayfeather, marsh blazingstar, prairie-pine - ONTQUE eastern United States
* ''
Liatris squarrosa
''Liatris squarrosa'', commonly called the scaly blazingstar, is an herbaceous perennial plant native to eastern and central North America, with most populations in the Southeastern United States. It is a somewhat conservative species, often foun ...
'' – loosescale gayfeather, colicroot, scaly blazing star - central + southeastern United States
* '' Liatris squarrulosa'' – southern gayfeather, Appalachian blazing star - south-central + southeastern United States
* ''
Liatris × steelei
''Liatris'' (), commonly known as gayfeather and blazing star. is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Eupatorieae within the family Asteraceae native to North America (Canada, United States, Mexico and the Bahamas). Some species are used ...
Liatris tenuifolia
''Liatris'' (), commonly known as gayfeather and blazing star. is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Eupatorieae within the family Asteraceae native to North America (Canada, United States, Mexico and the Bahamas). Some species are used ...