Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses

WESTERN IRONWEED

File Size: 101 KB

Vernonia baldwinii Torr.

Konza Prairie, Riley County, Kansas

Perennial

Height: 2-5 feet

Family: Asteraceae - Sunflower Family

Flowering Period: July, August, September

Also Called:

Baldwin ironweed.

Stems:

Erect, usually unbranched, sparsely to densely pubescent.

Leaves:

Alternate, numerous, simple, very short-stalked, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 1.5 to 7 inches long, 1 to 2 inches wide, finely hairy above, woolly below; margins toothed; tips tapering to points.

Inflorescences:

Irregular, loose clusters of numerous heads; immature and mature heads often together in same inflorescence; heads about 1/2 inch wide; bracts overlapping, purplish to greenish brown, tips pointed, spreading or curving back and downward.

Flowers:

Ray florets absent; disk florets 17-34, reddish purple.

Fruits:

Achenes, tiny, ribbed, tipped with brownish purple bristles, enclosing small seed.

Habitat:

Dry or heavily grazed pastures, open upland sites, disturbed areas, and roadsides.

Distribution:

Throughout Kansas.

Forage Value:

This plant is very bitter and is not consumed by cattle, though sheep will eat it.

Comments:

Western ironweed is one of the most common pasture weeds in Kansas. It will increase in overgrazed grasslands.