Verbesina alternifolia (Wingstem)

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Verbesina alternifolia (L.) Britton ex Kearney

Wingstem, yellow ironweed

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Asterales	Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies
Family	Asteraceae	The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers
Genus	Verbesina	Resembling the leaves of verbenas
Species	alternifolia	Alternate leaved

About plant names...

Wingstem, a member of the sprawling aster family, is a North American native plant.

Identification: Plants are 3-10' (91-304 cm) in height, hairy, with a four-winged stem. Leaves are alternate, narrowly elliptic, narrowly oval, or oval. They are 4-10" (10-25 cm) in length, rough-textured, sessile or with a short petiole, and usually toothed. Composite flowers are 1-2" (2.5-5 cm) in diameter, composed of a dome- or ball-shaped central disk ⅜-½" (9.5-12 mm) around, and 2-10 ray flowers. Both the central disk and the ray flowers are yellow; sometimes the ray flowers are not present. They bloom from August to October.

Online References:

Illinois Wildflowers

Missouriplants.com

Wildflowers of the United States

The Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide

Discover Life

References:

Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 164

9/1/2013 · Trail Near James River, Midlothian, Virginia
≈ 7 × 4½" (16 × 11 cm)

6/29/2023 · Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

9/14/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts
≈ 7 × 6" (18 × 15 cm)

9/14/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts
≈ 17 × 12" (44 × 29 cm)

9/14/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts
≈ 10 × 8" (26 × 20 cm)

9/14/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts
≈ 9 × 9" (23 × 23 cm)

Actinomeris alternifolia (L.) DC.

Ridan alternifolia (L.) Britton

Verbesina alternifolia description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 11 Jul 2023.

8/31/2013 · Riverside Park, James River, Midlothian, Virginia
≈ 10 × 8" (26 × 21 cm)

9/1/2013 · Trail Near James River, Midlothian, Virginia
≈ 6 × 9" (15 × 22 cm)

9/1/2013 · Trail Near James River, Midlothian, Virginia
≈ 9 × 6" (22 × 15 cm)

9/14/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts
≈ 12 × 17" (29 × 44 cm)

9/1/2013 · Trail Near James River, Midlothian, Virginia
≈ 11 × 7" (28 × 18 cm)

6/29/2023 · Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

9/1/2013 · Trail Near James River, Midlothian, Virginia
≈ 9 × 6" (23 × 16 cm)

Range:

About this map...