Wild
Quinine Parthenium
intergrifolium L.
Other Name: American Feverfew
Description:
The American Feverfew is a native, warm season perennial having a thick,
tuberous taproot. It belongs to the Compositae, or
aster family. The plant reaches a height up to one meter.
Leaves: The leaves have rounded teeth, are hairy,
rough, and undivided. They are up to 30 cm long and up to 10 cm or more wide.
The elliptical, lower leaves are large and on slightly winged stems. The leaves
become smaller on the way up the plant’s stem. The top leaves may clasp the
stem.
Flower: The heads are numerous in dense flat-topped
terminal clusters. The disk flowers are perfect but not fertile. The whitish
ray flowers are about 5 in number, pistillate and fertile.
Blooming months: June - September.
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8-20 |
6-23 |
Top: seed head 10-3 Bottom: flower 8-20 |
Discussion:
Tea made from leaves was used to treat fever in early times, thus
explaining another common name for Wild Quinine, American Feverfew.
Distribution:
American Feverfew is found in dry prairies, rights-of-way of roads, and
railroads. It is found from
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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