Pityopsis aspera (A. Gray) Small

Carolina Silkgrass

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Carolina Silkgrass is a native herbaceous evergreen perennial in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). It is native to the southern and eastern halves of Alabama. Carolina Silkgrass occurs in dry pine woodlands, in scrub oak woods, in sandhills, and on roadsides. It is a perennial with short rhizomes. Basal leaves form a rosette. The leaves are linear, sparsely to densely silky-sericeous, with margins that are sometimes stipitate glandular. Cauline leaves are alternate, reduced in size, sericeous, and sometimes stipitate glandular. Each rhizome produces 1 erect flowering stem that is 1-3 feet in height. The stem is silky-sericeous towards the base and stipitate-glandular towards the apex. The stems are branched above the middle. Flowers are produced in heads. The heads are arranged in corymbs. The peduncles and phyllaries are stipitate-glandular. Each head has 6-10 yellow ray flowers and 15-45 yellow disc flowers. The fruit is an achene with tan pappus. Carolina Silkgrass is a common ground layer component of dry pine forests, especially those that frequently burn. It is similar to and sometimes occurs with Grassleaf Golden Aster (Pityopsis graminifolia (Michaux) Nuttall). That species has eglandular peduncles.--A. Diamond

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Native

Nesom, G.L. 2019. Taxonomic synopsis of Pityopsis (Asteraceae). Phytoneuron 2019-1: 1–31.