Vernonia maxima Small

  • Authority

    New York Botanical Garden. Herbarium of Dr. Per Axel Rydberg. Purchased, 1899. Contributions from the New York Botanical Garden.

  • Family

    Asteraceae

  • Scientific Name

    Vernonia maxima Small

  • Description

    Species Description - Foliage glabrous or sparingly pubescent. Stems erect, 1-3 meters tall, branching above: leaves rather numerous: blades narrowly elliptic to lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 1-3 dm. long, acuminate, sharply serrate, narrowed into short petioles or the upper ones nearly sessile; corymbs 1-4 dm. broad: peduncles angled, barely enlarged upward: involucres hemispheric, 4 mm. to nearly 5 mm. high, rounded at the base: bracts ovate to oblong, acute to mucronate, ciliate, appressed: achenes 3 mm. long, upwardly barbed on the ribs: pappus light or deep purple.

  • Discussion

    In low ground, Ohio to Missouri, south to Alabama and Louisiana. Summer and fall.

    For many years Vernonia gigantea or V. altissinia has been an aggregate. The campestrian plant that has been known under both of those names is very distinct from the Carolinian and Florida

    The campestrian plant may easily be separated from the southeastern species by the lower involucres with rounded bases and their proportionately broader appressed and compactly arranged bracts. The involucres of the related species are narrowed at the base and have narrower loosely spreading bracts. The following cited specimens belong here :

    Missouri : Jackson County, Bnsh, no. 230.

    Ohio: no locality, Riddell, 1834. Scioto, Merriain, September 28, 1 89 1.

    West Virginia : Monongalia County, Millspaugh no. 677.

    Kentucky: no locality. Short, 1842. Harlan County, A'm;'- ney, no. 188.

    Tennessee: Knoxville, Ruth, September, 1894.

    Mississippi : Agricultural College, Pollard, no. 1267.

  • Distribution

    In low ground, Ohio to Missouri, south to Alabama and Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi. Summer and fall.

    Missouri United States of America North America| Alabama United States of America North America| Louisiana United States of America North America| Tennessee United States of America North America| Mississippi United States of America North America|