Elephantopus elatus Bertol.

Southern Elephant's Foot; Tall Elephant's Foot

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Southern Elephant's Foot is a native herbaceous perennial in the Sunflower family. It occurs in the southern half of Alabama. Southern Elephant's Foot grows in mesic to moist pine woodlands, on roadsides, and in disturbed habitats. It often occurs near Smooth Elephant's Foot (Elephantopus nudatus A. Gray) but on drier soils. Southern Elephant's Foot is a perennial with a tap root. Leaves form a basal rosette. The leaves are oblanceolate in outline and densely pilose to hirsute on both surfaces. The leaves are usually a light yellowish-green color. Flowering stems are 2-3 feet tall, and leafless or with 2-3 reduced sessile leaves. The flowering stems are light green in color with short white hairs. Flowers are produced in heads. The heads are arranged in loose panicles or corymbs. Heads are subtended by three leaf-like bracts with long pubescence hiding the glands. The bracts often appear “frosted”. The heads contain only disc flowers which are light purple to almost white in color. The fruit is an achene.--A. Diamond

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Native

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