''Silphium asteriscus'', commonly called starry rosinweed, is an herbaceous plant in the 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 ...
. It is native to the eastern United States, from
Oklahoma
Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
and
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
east to
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
and
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
. It is a widespread species found in a variety of open habitats, such as prairies and woodlands.
Taxonomy
Additional research is needed to better understand the taxonomy of this species. It remains perhaps the most poorly-understood ''Silphium'' in eastern North America.
It appears to show a high level of local variability throughout its range, which has been interpreted as either a species complex, a single highly variable species, or some combination of both. Due to conflicting information about the best circumscription of the varieties, the taxonomy of this species remains unsettled.
Flora of Missouri
/ref>[ If adopted, this leaves ''S. asteriscus'' with three remaining varieties. They are:
*''Silphium asteriscus'' var. ''asteriscus'' - Appalachian and eastward; with a congested, hispid inflorescence
*''Silphium asteriscus'' var. ''laitoflium'' - south and west of the Appalachians; with broad, opposite leaves and a spreading glabrous inflorescence
*''Silphium asteriscus'' var. ''trifoliatum'' - widespread; similar to the above but with narrow whorled leaves][
Image:Silphium asteriscus-linedrawing.png, Line drawing of ''Silphium asteriscus''
]
References
External links
*
*
asteriscus
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
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