Biology:Eupatorium novae-angliae

From HandWiki
Short description: Species of flowering plant


New England thoroughwort
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Eupatorium
Species:
E. novae-angliae
Binomial name
Eupatorium novae-angliae
(Fernald) V.Sullivan ex A.Haines & Sorie 2005[1][2]
Synonyms[1][2]
  • Eupatorium leucolepis var. novaeangliae Fern. 1937

Eupatorium novae-angliae, commonly called New England boneset,[1] New England justiceweed[3] or New England thoroughwort,[4] is a rare and endangered North American species in the family Asteraceae. It is found only in 4 counties in southern New England (Plymouth and Barnstable Counties in Massachusetts , plus Newport and Washington Counties in Rhode Island).[2] The species is listed as endangered species in both states.[4]

Specimens of Eupatorium novae-angliae have been collected for many years, classified by botanists as the more widespread species E. leucolepis, found from Long Island to Texas . More recent analysis of chromosomes reveals that the New England plants do not appear to be closely related to E. leucolepis. Eupatorium novae-angliae first formed as a hybrid between two other species, neither of them E. leucolepis. .[2][5][6] It is self-sustaining, rather than being found only where both parents are present, so various authors since 1992 have proposed treating it as a distinct species.[7] A formal renaming was published in 2005.[1][8]

Eupatorium novae-angliae is a tall perennial sometimes over 3 feet (90 cm) tall. It has opposite, lance-shaped leaves, and flat-topped arrays of a large number of tiny flower heads. Each head has 5 white disc florets but no ray florets.[2]

References

Wikidata ☰ Q15590931 entry