''Arnoglossum atriplicifolium'', the pale Indian plantain, is a

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

wildflower in the sunflower family (

Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...

).Flora of North America Vol. 20 Page 623 ''Arnoglossum atriplicifolium'' (Linnaeus) H. Robinson
/ref> native to the central and eastern United States. It can reach heights of up to , with dramatic clusters of white flowers at the top of a central, unbranching stalk.

Description

''Arnoglossum atriplicifolium'' is a large

plant with an unbranched stalk up to tall, sometimes much taller, rising from a basal rosette up to wide. The stalk is pale green to pale purple and has alternate leaves measuring up to long and across, becoming smaller as they ascend the stalk. The stems and lower surface of the leaves have a grayish white color, which is the source of the "pale" in the common name and is a distinguishing feature when differentiating it from other species in the ''Arnoglossum'' genus. At the top of the central stalk is a flat-topped

corymb Corymb is a botanical term for an inflorescence with the flowers growing in such a fashion that the outermost are borne on longer pedicels than the inner, bringing all flowers up to a common level. A corymb has a flattish top with a superficial re ...

, or cluster, of 4 to 15

flower heads A pseudanthium (; : pseudanthia) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, composite flowers ...

. Flower heads are white, sometimes with a bit of green or purple, with

disc floret Asteraceae () is a large family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchidaceae, and which is the larger fa ...

s but no

ray florets Asteraceae () is a large family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchidaceae, and which is the larger fa ...

. The plant spreads by means of underground

rhizomes In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

Distribution and habitat

It is widely distributed through the central and eastern states of the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, from the Atlantic Coast westward to as far as

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

, but it is listed as endangered in the state of

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. It grows in pastures, roadsides, and edges of woods.

Ecology

Flowers bloom from July to November. The plant is pollinated by insects, primarily wasps, including sand wasps ('' Bicyrtes''), great black wasps (''

Sphex pensylvanicus ''Sphex pensylvanicus'', the great black wasp, is a species of Sphex, digger wasp. It lives across most of North America and grows to a size of . The larvae feed on living insects that the females paralyze and carry to the underground nest. Dis ...

''), great golden digger wasps (''

Sphex ichneumoneus ''Sphex ichneumoneus'', known commonly as the great golden digger wasp or great golden sand digger is a wasp in the family Sphecidae. It is identified by the golden pubescence on its head and thorax, its reddish orange legs, and partly reddish or ...

''), and thread-waisted wasps, ('' Ammophila'' spp.) flies, and small bees.

Historical uses

Among the

Cherokee Indians The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...

, leaves taken from the plant were traditionally used as a

poultice A poultice or cataplasm, also called a fomentation, is a soft moist mass, often heated and medicated, that is applied to the skin to reduce inflammation, soothe pain, promote healing, or otherwise treat wounds or ailments. Soft materials like cer ...

for cuts and bruises. The bruised leaf, in this case, was bound over the spot and frequently removed., s.v. Selected List of Plants Used (''Cacalia atriplicifolia'')

References

External links

Illinois WildflowersLady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas

Delaware wildflowersMichigan floraDigital Atlas of Virginia Flora
* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q4794897 Senecioneae Flora of the United States Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus