Whole-leaf groundsel

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Whole-leaf groundsel fruiting

Whole-leaf groundsel inflorescences

Whole-leaf groundsel

Whole-leaf groundsel habit

Whole-leaf groundsel inflorescences

Whole-leaf groundsel leaves

Whole-leaf groundsel leaf

Morphology

Stem

Erect, simple below inflorescence, glabrous or glabrescent.

Leaves

Basal and cauline; petiole usually present on lower leaves, absent on upper leaves; blade lanceolate to elliptic, oblanceolate, deltate, or suborbiculate, or rarely linear, 2.4 to 10 inches long, .4 to 2.4 inches wide, base tapered to truncate or cordate, margins entire to irregularly dentate, dentate-serrate, or sinuate, tip obtuse to acute.

Inflorescence

Heads radiate, 6-40 in corymb-like arrays. Involucres campanulate or cylindric, .3 to .6 inch x .3 to .6 inch. Calyculate bractlets 1-5, linear. Phyllaries (8), 13, or 21, .2 to .55 inch, glabrous or sparsely tomentose proximally, apex usually green, rarely black.

Flower

Ray florets 8 or 13, pistillate, fertile; ligule .23 to .7 inch; corolla yellow or orange. Disk florets 10-80, bisexual, fertile; corolla yellow.

Fruit

Achenes cylindric, usually 5-ribbed, .08 to .12 inch, glabrous; pappus of 30-80 white smooth or barbellate bristles, .2 to .27 inch. Seed 1.

Ecology

Habitat

Moist to wet mixed-grass prairies

Distribution

The species is known from Ellsworth, Lincoln, and Osborne counties. in Kansas

Additional Notes