Images
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Morphology
- Stem
- Erect, slender, straight, often branched, glabrous, waxy; somewhat succulent; 2-6 nodes, internodes to 10 inches long.
- Leaves
- Alternate, firm, linear-lanceolate, 3.5 to 12 inches long and .15 to .5 inch wide, glabrous, waxy, often folded.
- Inflorescence
- Cyme, umbel-like, few to many-flowered, teminal on stem or branches; bracts leafy, glabrous, 2 to 8 inches long.
- Flower
- Sepals 3, elliptic, pointed, glandular-hairy, margins sometimes purplish; petals 3, broadly egg-shaped, bright blue to rose or magenta; stamens 6, filaments bearded; stalks up to 4/5 inch long, sparsely glandular-hairy.
- Fruit
- Capsule, nearly spherical to oblong-ellipsoid,; seeds 2-6, compressed, gray.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Prairies and disturbed sites; dry sandy or rocky soils.
- Distribution
- Principally in the west 3/4 of Kansas.
Practical Information
- Uses
- Several Native American tribes used the young shoots of prairie spiderwort as a food source.
Additional Notes
Comments
Three other spiderworts are observed in Kansas: common spiderwort , bracted spiderwort , and Tharps' spiderwort .
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Commelinaceae - Spiderwort Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 8-20 inches
- Last Updated
- 2007-11-14
Color Groups
Blue, Purple, Lavender & Violet Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: May, June, July, August