Category Archives: Know Your Natives

A series of articles profiling the many native plants found in Arkansas

Know Your Natives – Yellow Leafcup

Posted on October 11, 2017 by

Yellow leafcup (Smallanthus uvedalius), formerly Polymnia uvedalia, of the Aster (Asteraceae) family is a tall herbaceous perennial with very large petiolate leaves. The genus name honors John Kunkel Small, American botanist and author of Manual of the Southeastern Flora, 1933–still … Continue reading →

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Know Your Natives – White Leafcup

Posted on September 19, 2017 by

White leafcup (Polymnia canadensis) of the Aster (Asteraceae) Family is a coarse,  short-lived perennial. The genus name is in reference to the Greek Muse Polymnia (also spelled Polyhymnia), goddess of music, song and dance. The specific epithet refers to the … Continue reading →

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Know Your Natives – White Four-O’Clock

Posted on August 28, 2017 by

White four-o’clock (Mirabilis albida) of the Four-O’Clock (Nyctaginaceae) Family is an herbaceous perennial that blooms from evening into the next morning. The genus name is from a Latin word meaning “wonderful”. The specific epithet is from Latin for “whitish”*. Another … Continue reading →

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Know Your Natives – Butterfly Pea

Posted on August 10, 2017 by

Butterfly Pea (Clitoria mariana) of the Pea/Bean (Fabaceae) family, the only species of the genus occurring in Arkansas, has large pea-shaped flowers. In the U.S., it occurs from New Mexico to Kansas, Nebraska, and Minnesota, east to New York and … Continue reading →

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Know Your Natives – Showy Partridge Pea

Posted on July 24, 2017 by

Showy partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata var. fasciculata)* of the Pea/Bean (Fabacaceae) family is an annual forb with asymmetrical flowers. It occurs in the U.S. from New Mexico and Kansas to South Dakota and Minnesota to Maine, thence south and east … Continue reading →

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Know Your Natives – Tall bellflower

Posted on July 10, 2017 by

Tall bellflower (Campanula americana*) of the Bellflower (Campanulaceae) family is an annual or biennial forb. In the U.S., it occurs from Louisiana and Oklahoma north to South Dakota and Minnesota, east to New York, thence southward into states that border … Continue reading →

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Know Your Natives – Whorled Milkweed

Posted on July 2, 2017 by

Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) in the Dogbane (Apocynaceae) family, formerly in the Milkweed (Asclepiadaceae) family, is a perennial herbaceous forb. The genus name relates to the Greek god of medicine (Asklepios, alternatively spelled Asclepius). The specific epithet is from a … Continue reading →

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Know Your Natives – Self-Heal

Posted on June 14, 2017 by

Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris ssp. lanceolata*) of the Mint (Lamiaceae) family is a perennial herb found in generally moist soils.  It occurs as a native species throughout the lower 48 states and Alaska.  In Arkansas, it occurs throughout the state.  The … Continue reading →

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Know Your Natives – New Jersey Tea

Posted on May 31, 2017 by

New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus) of the Buckthorn (Rhamnaceae) Family is a small, deciduous, thorn-free shrub.  The genus name originates from a Greek word for “spiny plant” or a Latin word for “thistle”.  The specific epithet relates to its occurrence … Continue reading →

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Know Your Natives – Western Daisy

Posted on May 12, 2017 by

Western Daisy (Astranthium ciliatum) (formerly Astranthium integrifolium*), of the Aster (Asteraceae) family, is an annual species with daisy-like flower heads. In the U.S., it is found in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, southern Nebraska and southwestern Missouri with greatest concentrations in eastern … Continue reading →

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