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Photographer: John M. Schoeneker
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Family Asteraceae
Liatris pycnostachya Michx.
prairie blazing-star, thick-spike blazing-star, thick-spike gay-feather
Liatris: meaning lost in antiquity
pycnostachya: from Greek pyhnos meaning "dense" or "thick"
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| Status: | Native |
| Plant: | erect, perennial, 2'-4' tall forb; leafy stems hairy to inflorescence |
| Flower: | head 1/2" wide with 5-7 pink flowers, bracts (phyllaries) tapering to pointed, spreading tips; inflorescence with many stalkless heads in a dense spike; blooms July-Sept. |
| Fruit: | dry seed on fluffy pappus |
| Leaf: | alternate, linear, up to 1/2" wide |
| Habitat: | full sun; moderate moisture to wet; meadows, prairies; in sandy, loamy soil |
| (Glossary) |
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