Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Monday - June 16, 2014
From: Winchester, VA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: General Botany, Plant Identification
Title: Key for Verbesina virginica
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Are the stems of Verbesina virginica hairy? My in-laws have what I believe is Verbesina virginica (blooms in September here in VA) and another wild flower that blooms before it and is yellow. I'd like to dig some up for our woods but it's a bit difficult to find a key I can use. Thanks.ANSWER:
The stems don't seem to be hairy. You can read the description from eFloras, the online version of Flora of North America for Verbesina virginica (Frostweed). It doesn't mention any hairyness.
Also, I found a paper, Synopsis of Verbesina sect. Ochractinia (Asteraceae) by John Olsen in Plant Systematics and Evolution 149 (47-63) 1985 with a key to the various species of Verbesina. Here is the introductory statement and the pertinent part of the key leading up to V. virginica:
Artificial Key to the Species of Verbesina sect. Ochractinia
Herbaceous perennials to small trees; leaves alternate, entire to pinnatifid. Heads less than 1.5(-2.0) cm in diameter (excluding the rays), usually numerous, in paniculate capitulescences. Ray florets 1 - 19, ligule white; disc florets (5 -) 13 - 30( - 75), corolla white. Achenes glabrous or pubescent (never dense), winged; pappus of (1-)2(-3) awns. Type species: Verbesina virginica L. Base chromosome number: x = 17.
1. Leaves pinnately divided or lobed
……………
1. Leaves not pinnately divided or lobed
15. Stems winged (key under both leads if very thin wings present)
16. Ray florets less than or equal to 9 florets per head (if 9, key out under both leads)
17. Involucral bracts pilose
18. Heads more than 1 cm in diameter
19. Rays 1 – 5……………………13. V. virginica
The only mention of hairyness is: 17. Involucral bracts pilose (i.e., The bracts beneath the flowerheads are hairy).
From Dictionary.com: Pilose – covered with hair, especially soft hair; furry.
There is no mention of hairy stems in either the description of eFloras or the Key.
You can see photos from the Archive of Central Texas Plants from the School of Biological Sciences, the University of Texas and also check the photos of stems below form our Image Gallery for hairyness of the stems. The stems are often winged but do not appear to be hairy.
From the Image Gallery
More General Botany Questions
Starting a sweet potato in water in Duluth MN
April 11, 2011 - I am trying to start a sweet potato plant in water. I noticed 3 days after it's in water, there is white finger
like(hairy) areas at the tip of the bottom of the potato and also on the sides. I have...
view the full question and answer
Rotten Oranges
June 03, 2009 - Do oranges rot if they are not taken off the tree when ripe?
view the full question and answer
Plant Groups
September 22, 2009 - What are ways to group plants?
view the full question and answer
Ruffly foliage on native lantana
November 05, 2013 - A native lantana in my front yard has developed ruffly foliage on one stem. It looks like miniature broccoli. What can this be?
view the full question and answer
Native subarctic plants
March 26, 2008 - I'm doing a project on subarctic things and I have to have subarctic plants in it. I need to know a few and about them. Can you help?
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |