Apiaceae
Parsley Family
Eryngium yuccifolium Michx.
- Stem: perennial; 2’ to 3’ tall; unbranched; ridged, not hairy.
- Leaves: alternate; linear, with clasping base and pointed tip; 4” to 12” by 1/2” to 1”; prickles on the margins; smooth above and below.
- Inflorescence: umbels of heads on flower stalks from the stem tip and upper leaf axils; heads 1/2” tall by 1/2” in diameter; spiny bracts below each flower in the head.
- Flowers: petals white, 3/32” long, inconspicuous; styles very long, white; flowering from mid-July to mid-August.
- Fruits: two one-seeded fruits, 3/16” long; with prominent oil tubes in the fruit wall; fruiting begins in early August.
- Habitat: infrequent on moist to mesic prairies; a good indicator of the prairie plant community.
- Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
- Vascular Plants of Iowa
Can be found in these counties:
