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Liatris elegans
Liatris elegans (Walter) Michx.
Pink-scale Blazing Star, Pink-scale Gayfeather, Pink-scale Liatris
Asteraceae (Aster Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: LIEL
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
Gay feather is a slender, unbranched plant, 1-4 feet tall. Its narrow leaves, much like pine needles, are about 3 inches long, whorled around the stem. The flower spike is 6-20 inches long, blooming from the top downward. Flowers are purple to pale lavender-pink, about 1/2 inch long. There are no ray flowers, but long, petal-like bracts the same color as the disc flowers are often mistaken for them.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Herb
Size Notes: Up to about 4 feet tall.
Fruit: Fruit is a cypsela (pl. cypselae). Though technically incorrect, the fruit is often referred to as an achene.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: Pink , PurpleBloom Time: Aug , Sep , Oct
Distribution
USA: AL , AR , FL , GA , LA , MS , OK , SC , TXNative Distribution: Coastal states SC to TX, inland to AR & OK
Native Habitat: Prairies; pinelands; well-drained, sandy sites
Growing Conditions
Light Requirement: SunSoil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Dry, sandy or rocky soils.
Benefit
Use Wildlife: Liatris spp. attract butterflies.Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Butterflies
Nectar Source: yes
Value to Beneficial Insects
Special Value to Native BeesThis information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Stengl Biological Research Station - Smithville, TX
NPSOT - Austin Chapter - Austin, TX
Wildflower Center Seed Bank
LBJWC-1151 Collected 2006-11-13 in Harrison County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower CenterBibliography
Bibref 765 - McMillen's Texas Gardening: Wildflowers (1998) Howard, D.Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller
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Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Research Literature
Reslit 1575 - New phenolic compounds from Liatris elegans (2010) Z. Z. Zhang, S. Ownby, P. Wang, W. Yuan, W. L. Zha...Reslit 1777 - Constituents of Liatris species. V. Ligantrol and ligantrol monoacetate, two new linear polyoxygenated diterpenes from Liatris elegans (1975) W. Herz and R. P. Sharma
This information was provided by the Florida WIldflower Foundation.
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Additional resources
USDA: Find Liatris elegans in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Liatris elegans in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Liatris elegans
Metadata
Record Modified: 2022-12-29Research By: TWC Staff