Silphium connatum L.

Locations ofSilphium connatum L. in Virginia

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Detail

Family
Asteraceae
Botanical Name
Silphium connatum L.
Common Name
Virginia Cup-plant
Synonym(s)
Silphium perfoliatum L. var. connatum (L.) Cronq.
Flora of Virginia Name/Status
Silphium connatum L.
Comments
This taxon has usually been treated as a var. of Silphium perfoliatum but differs significantly from the latter in its densely hispid stems and flowers with 8 or 13 ray florets (vs. glabrous stems and flowers with 21 or 34 ray florets in S. perfoliatum). In addition, the distribution of the two taxa is largely allopatric, with S. perfoliatum being large and strongly Midwestern and S. connatum being endemic to a small part of the Southern Appalachians (primarily nw. NC, sw. VA, and s. WV). Both are uncommon in Virginia.
Habitat
Floodplain forests and alluvial clearings; rarely in moist meadows. The distribution and status of this var. are incompletely known. It appears to be infrequent to locally frequent in the sw. mountains (Ridge and Valley and Southern Blue Ridge) and far sw. Piedmont; it follows the New River Valley across the region and also occurs in the upper Roanoke River drainages (e.g., Smith River) of the sw. Piedmont.
Native Status
Native

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