Echinacea laevigata

Plants 35–110 cm (roots fusiform, ± branched). Herbage (glaucous) mostly glabrous (leaves sometimes sparsely hairy abaxially). Stems green. Basal leaves: petioles 4–26 cm; blades 3- or 5-nerved, elliptic to lanceolate-ovate, 10–50 × 3–6.5 cm, bases broadly cuneate to rounded, margins usually serrate or dentate. Peduncles 10–40 cm. Phyllaries lanceolate, 3–15 × 2–3(–5) mm. Receptacles: paleae 7–12 mm, tips orange to brownish purple-tipped, often incurved, sharp-pointed. Ray corollas pink to purple, laminae spreading to reflexed, 35–80 × 3–7 mm, sparsely hairy abaxially. Discs conic to spheric, 15–30 × 15–40 mm. Disc corollas 8–9 mm, lobes purple to greenish (usually erect). Cypselae tan, disc cypselae tan, banded, 4–5 mm, usually glabrous (ray cypselae sometimes hairy on angles); pappi to 1.2 mm (teeth unequal). 2n = 22.

Phenology: Flowering late spring–early summer.
Habitat: Well-drained soils, open wooded hillsides, fields
Elevation: 100–1100 m

Ga., N.C., Pa., S.C., Va.

Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Echinacea laevigata was historically present in Pennsylvania but is now thought to be extirpated; its occurrence in Maryland has not been confirmed; reports of its presence in Alabama and Arkansas are most likely based on misidentifications. It is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa