Thickspike gayfeather
Also known as: Kansas gayfeather, tall blazing star, prairie blazing star
Liatris pycnostachya Michx.
Images
Click on image to view full size
Morphology
- Stem
- Erect, stiff, coarse-hairy in the inflorescence at maturity.
- Leaves
- Alternate, numerous, linear, 4 to 20 inches long, up to 1/2 inch wide, reduced upward.
- Inflorescence
- Spike, elongated, 6 to 12 inches long; heads sessile, crowded, cylindric, 1/3 to 1/2 inch tall.
- Flower
- Bracts tapering to points, tips spreading, curved backward; ray florets absent; disk florets 5-12, corollas pinkish-purple, glabrous within, about 1/3 inch long.
- Fruit
- Achene, ribbed, tipped with finely barbed bristles, enclosing small seed.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Open moist prairies, draws, low areas, and open woods.
- Distribution
- East 1/2 of Kansas.
Practical Information
- Uses
- A poultice made from the roots was used in the past to treat snakebites.
Additional Notes
Comments
Thickspike gayfeather is sometimes used in dried flower arrangements.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Asteraceae - Sunflower Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 2-5 feet
- Last Updated
- 2018-02-22
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