Liatris ligulistylis
 
Meadow Blazingstar

Upper Leaf Top

Duck Mountain Provincial Park
21-Jul-2007

Ligulistylis: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this species. 

lower leaves 10-20 mm wide; NOT [lower leaves 2-4 mm wide]

heads subglobose; NOT [heads cylindrical]

heads 1-3 cm wide; NOT narrower

flower heads with more than 15 florets; NOT [flower heads with 4-6 florets]

pappus bristles barbellate; NOT [pappus bristles plumose]

 

Liatris: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this genus. 

juice watery; NOT [juice milky]

leaves NOT whorled

leaves linear to oblanceolate; NOT [leaves triangular to ovate]

flowers in elongated racemes or spikes; NOT [flowers in terminal, more or less flat-topped clusters or solitary]

bracts of involucre NOT [dry or parchmenty]

bracts of involucre usually green

involucral bracts NOT spiny-tipped and WITHOUT hooked bristles

receptacle naked; NOT [receptacle densely bristly]

flower heads with all florets tubular

flowers all perfect; NOT [flowers of some heads all pistillate or the outer flowers pistillate]

florets pink to purple; NOT [florets whitish to cream, yellow, greenish yellow, or orange]

stamens united to form a tube around the pistil

pappus present, distinct; NOT [pappus none or inconspicuous]

pappus of capillary bristles or hairs, sometimes plumose; NOT [pappus of scales, or of awns, or a crown]

pappus hairs much longer than achene