|  back  | forward |

Nabalus albus - (image 1 of 6)

Taxonomy

Family: Asteraceae

Synonymous with Prenanthes alba L.

Habitat

Deciduous woods, calcareous cliffs.

Associates

Distribution

ME to Manitoba, south to NC, WV, and MO.

Morphology

Erect herbaceous perennial to 1.5 m, often glaucous; leaves glabrous above, often hairy beneath, highly variable, the lower long-petioled, palmately or pinnately few-lobed to sagittate or hastate-reniform and merely coarsely toothed, becoming smaller, less cut, and with shorter petioles upward; inflorescence elongate-paniculiform; heads nodding; involucres 11-14 mm, with mostly 8 principle bracts; involucral bracts glabrous, purplish, papillate with white, waxy-appearing cells that are usually distinguishable at 10×; flowers 9-11(-15), mostly white to pinkish or lavender; pappus cinnamon-brown.

Notes

Flowers August to September

Wetland indicator: FACU

Can be distinguished from N. altissimus and N. trifoliatus by the purplish flowers and cinnamon-brown pappus. The flowers are similar to those of N. autumnalis which has a much more slender and elongate inflorescence.

References

Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY

Home