Silphium laciniatum

Revision as of 20:16, 27 September 2011 by WikiBot (talk | contribs) (Protected "Silphium laciniatum": Protecting pages from unwanted edits ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite)))
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Silphium laciniatum
File:Compass plant.jpg
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Heliantheae
Genus: Silphium
Species: S. laciniatum
Binomial name
Silphium laciniatum
L.

Silphium laciniatum (Compass Flower, Compass Plant or Rosinweed) is a species of flowering plant in the genus Silphium. It is native to east-central North America, from southern Ontario and New York south to Alabama and west across the prairies to North Dakota and Colorado south to Texas.

It is a perennial herbaceous plant similar in appearance to a sunflower, growing to 1-4 m tall, with bristly-hairy stems. The leaves are alternately arranged, and deeply pinnately lobed; the basal leaves up to 40 cm long, becoming smaller higher up the stem. The flowers are produced in flowerheads (capitula) 5-12 cm diameter, with a ring of ray florets surrounding the 2-3 cm diameter center of disc florets. Flowering is in late summer, typically from July to September.

Compass plants are so named because they tend to align their foliage north and south to present the minimum surface area to the hot noon sunshine. The taproot of the compass plant may grow to more than 9-14 ft. deep, making it hardy and resistant to drought.

The plant was used in Native American herbal medicine as a vermifuge, and to treat coughs and asthma.

References

  1. "Silphium laciniatum". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. Retrieved 2007-07-04.


Template:Wikispecies

de:Kompasspflanze

Template:Asteraceae-stub

Template:WikiDoc Sources