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Morphology
- Stem
- Erect, rarely branched, 1 to 4 inches tall when flowering, to 12 inches tall in fruit, soft hairy; nodes 1 or 2; internodes to 3.2 inches long.
- Leaves
- Alternate, simple, not waxy, linear-lanceolate, 6 to 12 inches long, to 1 inch wide, densely covered with long, soft hairs; margins entire, often rose-purple or translucent.
- Inflorescence
- Cymes, umbel-like, many-flowered, terminal; bracts grass-like, to 10 inches long, 1 inch wide, soft hairy.
- Flower
- Stalks 1.5 to 2.5 inches long, soft hairy, rose colored; sepals 3, broadly elliptic, 1/2 to 3/5 inch long, usually rose colored, soft-hairy, tips pointed; corollas about 1 inch wide, purplish blue or deep rose; petals 3, broadly ovate; stamens 6, filaments densely bearded.
- Fruit
- Capsules, rounded; seeds oblong, flattened, gray, about 1/10 inch long.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Prairies, hillsides, thickets, and open woods, most abundant on rocky or clay soils.
- Distribution
- Principally central of Kansas.
Additional Notes
Comments
Named after Benjamin Tharp, 1885-1964, a botanist at the University of Texas.
Special Notes: Three other spiderworts are observed in Kansas: prairie spiderwort , bracted spiderwort , and common spiderwort .
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Commelinaceae - Spiderwort Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 1-12 inches
- Last Updated
- 2021-05-22
Color Groups
Blue, Purple, Lavender & Violet Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: March, April, May