12/25/2023 0 Comments Purple coneflower plant![]() By flowering time, the phyllaries have become spreading to recurved, resulting in a tight, leafy, saucer-shaped involucre. Early in the growth of flowerheads, buds are spherical with a full cover of hirsute, leafy, lanceolate to linear bracts (often termed phyllaries) imbricated in several series. The blooming period may extend from late May through July. Caterpillars are those of Pearl Crescents ( Phyciodes tharos). Primary venation consists of the midrib and a pair of arching secondary veins. Photo 6: At a sunny site, mid-stem leaves have jagged, serrated margins. Other plants shown include Texas Dutchman’s Pipe, Green Dragon and Nuttall’s Wild Indigo ( Baptisia nuttalliana). At this partially shaded site, the plant may not develop branches. Photo 5: Upper stem leaves become narrower than those below. Larger leaves have slight marginal serrations. Photo 4: An older plant, later in the growing season, has ovate to lanceolate leaves with partially winged, longer petioles. Characteristic venation is enhanced by spring-time colors. These leaves are glabrous on their upper surface and pubescent below. Photo 3: This year-old plant has broad leaves with short, winged petioles. Veins, including prominent tertiary veins, are recessed above and expressed below. Primary veins consist of a straight midrib and a pair of secondary veins that arch from the leaf base to the tip. ![]() Both upper and lower leaf surfaces may be uniformly covered with dense minute hairs, feeling equally rough, or the upper surface may be markedly less pubescent. Blade margins tend to be entire (smooth) on smaller leaves, but jagged and irregularly serrate on larger leaves. Larger leaves grow to 14 inches long, including 8-inch petioles, and to 4+ inches wide, typically widest below the middle. Leaf bases may be rounded or tapered with the blade extending as narrow wings along the petiole. Petioles of basal and lower stem leaves are especially long and may exceed the length of the leaf blade. Leaves vary from small, early, heart-shaped basal leaves to larger basal and stem leaves that are broadly lanceolate below to narrower above. Dead stems, branches and heads persist into the new growth-year. The upper one-third to one-fifth of stems and branches tends to be leafless. Stem leaves are generally alternate, but may be sub-opposite to opposite, especially on more robust plants. Stems bear single terminal flowerheads, with that of the main stem typically the largest. Robust plants produce axillary branches at mid-stem that may be 1½ feet long and overtop the main stem. Stems taper from a ¼-inch-diameter base, before flaring to the receptacle in support of the flowerhead. The pale-green, stout, erect stems to 3+ feet tall are typically hirsute, uncommonly partially or totally glabrous. Photo 2: This 4-year-old (?) plant has 2 dormant “root stubs” (with dead stems still attached), a stub bearing leaves only (with fan-like base) and 3 stubs (with round bases) bearing leaves and a central stem. Growth that does not include a stem is flattened and fan-like and produces basal leaves growth that includes a stem is terete and reproductive, ultimately bearing one or more terminal heads. The root stubs have actively growing crowns with new growth, as well as dormant stems from previous growing seasons. Mature plants develop a central knobby rootstock comprising a clump of shallow “root stubs” supported by fleshy, whitish roots. Photo 1: Showy terminal flowerheads occur singly on main stems and axillary branches. Other common names include Eastern Purple Coneflower and Broad-Leaved Purple Coneflower. Habitat preference is sunny to partially sunny sites on moist, well drained soils of prairies, open woodlands and borders, and rights-of-way. In Arkansas, plants grow statewide except for the lowlands of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain and West Gulf Coastal Plain. In the US, the species is common in Arkansas, Missouri and Indiana with more limited occurrence in surrounding states and from Alabama into New England. The specific epithet is Latin for “purple,” the color of the ray florets. The genus name is derived from a Greek word for “hedgehog” in reference to the spiny bracts that share the receptacle with the ray and disk florets. Purple Coneflower ( Echinacea purpurea) of the Sunflower or Composite (Asteraceae) family is an erect herbaceous perennial with large, showy, terminal flowerheads.
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