Images
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Morphology
- Stem
- Erect, branched, minutely pubescent.
- Leaves
- Basal and cauline, alternate; petiole present; blade cordate to ovate, 12 to 24 inches long, 6 to 14 inches wide, base acuminate or sagittate, margins entire to undulate or coarsely toothed, apex obtuse to acute, surfaces sparsely to densely tomentose.
- Inflorescence
- Heads discoid, in raceme-like or panicle-like arrays; involucres spherical, .6 to 1.6 inch; phyllaries many, in 9-17 series, narrowly lanceolate to linear, margins entire, apex long-attenuate and hooked, at least on outer phyllaries; receptacles flat, not pitted, minutely bristly.
- Flower
- Florets 25-40, bisexual, fertile; corolla purple to pink or white, .28 to .5 inch.
- Fruit
- Achenes dark brown, obovoid, .2 to .28 inch, glabrous; pappus of white barbellate bristles .04 to .1 inch.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Stream banks, thickets, and shaded waste places
- Distribution
- Principally east half of Kansas, but scattered in northwest quarter.
Practical Information
- Uses
- The root of burdock was used medicinally by the ancient Greeks and during Medieval times. Native Americans applied a poultice of the leaves to boils and rheumatism and boiled its root and took the tea as a remedy for pleurisy.
Additional Notes
Comments
Plants not spiny. As the achenes ripen, the hooked phyllaries of the involucre become rigid and can catch on clothing or in the hair of animals and are pulled off and carried away, scattering the achenes. Arctium bear, alluding to the roughness of the involucre and minus, smaller.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Asteraceae - Sunflower Family
- Life Span
- Biennial
- Height
- 20-60 inches
- Origin
- Introduced
- Last Updated
- 2016-08-06
Color Groups
Blue, Purple, Lavender & Violet Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: July, August, September, October