Prenanthes altissima L.

• Authority

  Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

• Family

  Asteraceae

• Scientific Name

  Prenanthes altissima L.

• Description

  Species Description - Stem 4–20 dm, glabrous or often spreading-hirsute toward the base; lvs thin, glabrous above, often hirsute on the midrib and main veins beneath, the lower long- petioled, highly variable in size and shape, commonly with deltoid to sagittate or cordate, merely mucronate-toothed blade 4–15 × 2.5–16 cm, or sometimes deeply few-lobed, gradually reduced upward, becoming short-petiolate or subsessile and elliptic; infl elongate-paniculiform; heads nodding; invol glabrous, 9–14 mm, with (4)5(6) principal bracts, generally dark-tipped; fls 5–6, ochroleucous or chloroleucous; 2n=16. Woods; Nf. to Ga., w. to Mich., Mo., Ark., and La. Aug., Sept. Most of our plants are var. altissima, with whitish to pale brown pappus. Southwestward this passes into var. cinnamomea Fernald, chiefly of Mo., Ark., and La., with bright yellow-brown or almost orange pappus.

• Common Names

  tall white lettuce