Ironweed Vernonia fasciculata
Description:
Ironweed is a member of the Compositae, aster, or daisy family, bet lacks the usual
petal-like rays. It is a stout plant to 2 meters tall with smooth, hairless
stems and leaves.
Leaf: The leaves are alternate, finely and regularly
toothed along their edges, widest at the middle and gradually tapering to
narrow bases and pointed tips. The largest leaves can be 15 cm long and over 3
cm wide, but are often much narrower. There are numerous tiny pits on the
underside of each leaf.
Flower:
Flowers 15-25 richly colored, small, reddish-purple flowers are crowded
together in a flat head.
Blooming months: July- September
Stem: The
erect, woody stems are red or purple and quite tough, lending to its name.
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Discussion:
Iron weed has a bitter taste and is not very palatable to cattle. A
bitter tonic was made from this plant in early times and used as an appetite
improver and to promote digestion.
Distribution:
Common in wet prairies and moist prairie depressions, often growing with
Prairie Cord Grass. Distributed through most of the tallgrass
region.
Native
or Introduced to
Location:
N41048.677’ W089040.972’
Copyright:
© 2004 Nancy Trainor,
References:
Keller, Carolyn. Prairie Plants of
Ladd, Doug. Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers, The Nature Conservancy, 1995.
Peterson, Roger Tory. Wildflowers Northeastern/North Central
Mohlenbroch, Robert H., and John W. Voigt. Prairie
Plants of
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