Wingstem

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Wingstem leaf wings on stem

Wingstem heads

Wingstem

Wingstem leaves

Wingstem

Wingstem florets

Wingstem leaf wings on stem

Wingstem leaf

Wingstem

Wingstem

Wingstem

Wingstem leaf

Morphology

Stem

Erect, leafy, usually branched above, coarsely hairy or nearly glabrous.

Leaves

Alternate, simple, short-stalked, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 4-10 inches long, 1-3 inches wide, rough; margins toothed to nearly entire; tips pointed; leafy "wings" extend downward from bases.

Inflorescence

Heads, up to 100, borne in open, terminal clusters.

Flower

Heads 1-2 inches wide; bracts few, narrowly lanceolate, bent abruptly downward; ray florets 2-10, .5 to 1.25 inch long, yellow, drooping; disk florets numerous, spreading, yellow.

Fruit

Achenes, widely spreading, forming spherical head, flattened, winged, glabrous, tipped with 2 awn-like bristles, enclosing small seed.

Ecology

Habitat

Open, moist wooded areas, thickets and stream banks, in rich soils.

Distribution

Principally the east half of Kansas.

Additional Notes