Liatris pauciflora Pursh var. secunda (Elliott) D.B. Ward

Sandhill Blazing Star

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Sandhill Blazing Star is a native herbaceous perennial in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). It can be found in the southern-most counties in Alabama. Sandhill Blazing Star occurs in dry pine forests, in scrub oak woods, in sand hills, on roadside banks, and on dunes. It is a perennial from a globose corm. Stems are 1-3 feet in length, arching, unbranched (unless damaged), and minutely pubescent. Leaves are basal and cauline. The basal leaves are larger than the stem leaves and may not be present at flowering. Leaves are alternate, oblanceolate to linear-oblanceolate in outline, glabrous or pubescent, gland-dotted, and 1-nerved. Flowers are produced in heads. Heads are arranged in dense spike-like arrays at the top of the plant. The heads are short peduncled or sessile and strongly secund. The phyllaries are oblong, glabrous, and have hyaline margins. Each head contains 3-6 pink-purple funnelform flowers. The corolla tube is pubescent on the inside. The fruit is an achene with barbellate pappus bristles.—A. Diamond

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Native

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