Woolly Ironweed

Plants 2–5(–8+) dm. Stems ± pannose. Leaves mostly cauline; blades linear, 5–8 cm × 2–4 mm, l/w = 17–25(–40), abaxially densely sericeo-tomentose, adaxially usually glabrate, sometimes sparsely arachno-tomentose. Heads in corymbiform arrays. Peduncles 5–35 mm. Involucres ± obconic to campanulate, 6–10 × 5–8 mm. Phyllaries 40–50+ in 5–6+ series, sericeo-tomentose, including margins, the outer lance-ovate, 1–2 mm, the inner lanceolate to lance-linear, 6–7(–9+) mm, tips acute. Florets 12–24+. Cypselae 3–4 mm; pappi stramineous to purplish, outer scales 20+, 0.6–1.1 mm, contrasting with 20+, 6–7+ mm inner bristles. 2n = 34.

Vernonia lindheimeri Gray & Engelm. Proc. Am
Acad. 1:46. 1846.
Cacalia Lindheimeri Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 970. 1891.
Stems erect, simple to the inflorescence, 2-6 dm. high, tomentose or canescent; leaves
numerous and crowded, the blades narrowly linear, 5-8 cm. long, entire, revolute, 1-nerved,
glabrous above, densely white-woolly beneath; inflorescence freely branched, compact; heads
about 21-flowered; involucre campanulate, 7-9 mm. high; scales loosely and irregularly
imbricate, purple, densely gray-tomentose on the back, the outer ovate-lanceolate, acute,
the inner narrowly oblong, obtuse to rounded or mucronulate; achenes glabrous, 4 mm. long,
frequently resinous or dark-dotted in the furrows; pappus-bristles 7 mm. long, purple,
the scales very narrow, white, 0.8 mm. long.
Type locality : New Braunfels, Texas. Distribution: Texas.

Vernonia lindheimeri, commonly known as woolly ironweed, is a species of flowering plant in the aster family (Asteraceae). It is native North America, where it is native to the state of Coahuila in Mexico and to the state of Texas in the United States. Its natural habitat is in open, calcareous areas.

Vernonia lindheimeri is a robust perennial, growing to 3 feet high. It has narrow linear leaves, which are white-woolly beneath. It produces purple heads of flowers in the summer.