Nabalus barbatus (Torr. & A. Gray) A. Heller

Barbed Rattlesnake Root; Flatwoods Rattlesnake Root

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Barbed Rattlesnake Root is a native herbaceous perennial in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). It can be found in central and northeastern Alabama. It occurs in rich hardwood forests, in prairies, around calcareous glades, and on roadside banks. It is a perennial with a thick, knotty, tuberous taproot. The stems are erect, unbranched below the inflorescences, green or purplish in color, and glabrous towards the base and finely pubescent towards the apex. Basal leaves are often absent at flowering. They are petiolate, elliptic in outline, thick, with irregularly toothed margins. The leaves are glabrous or with scattered stiff hairs. Stem leaves are alternate, sessile (sometimes clasping), and otherwise similar to the basal leaves but smaller in size. Flowers are produced in heads. The heads are arranged in terminal panicles. Each head has 7-11 short triangular basal bracts that are purple or green in color (the calyculi-- a group of small bracts that resembles a calyx), and 6-8 long, purple or green, linear bracts (the phyllaries). The calyculi and phyllaries are both coarsely setose with long, white hairs. Each head has 10-15 white or pale-yellow ray flowers. The fruit is an achene with yellowish-white pappus. Barbed Rattlesnake Root is listed as an S1S2 species in Alabama (S1 - Typically 5 or fewer occurrences, very few remaining individuals, or some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable in the state; S2 - Typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state), and globally as a G3 species (Imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors).—A. Diamond

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Native S1S2 (State Rank) G3 (Global Rank)

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