Tall Ironweed

Plants 5–10+ dm. Stems sparsely appressed-puberulent, glabrescent. Leaves mostly cauline; blades (mid stem) lance-linear to filiform, 5–12 cm × 2–4(–8+) mm, l/w = (8–)12–30(–60+), abaxially glabrous but for scattered hairs on midribs or scabrellous (hairs awl-shaped), resin-gland-dotted or not, adaxially scabrellous. Heads in ± corymbiform to paniculiform arrays. Peduncles 8–25 mm. Involucres ± campanulate to obconic, 5–7(–10) × 4–6(–9) mm. Phyllaries 22–45+ in 5–6 series, sparsely scabrellous, glabrescent, margins ciliolate, the outer lanceolate to subulate, 1.5–3 mm, inner lance-ovate to lanceolate, 5–9+ mm, tips acuminate to subulate. Florets 12–20(–30). Cypselae 2.5–3 mm; pappi stramineous to purplish, outer scales 25–30, 0.5–1.2+ mm, contrasting with 35–40+, 5.5–6+ mm inner bristles. 2n = 34.

Vernonia angustifolia subsp. mohrii (S. B. Jones) S. B. Jones & W. Z. Faust; V. angustifolia subsp. scaberrima (Nuttall) S. B. Jones & W. Z. Faust; V. angustifolia var. scaberrima (Nuttall) A. Gray; V. scaberrima Nuttall

Vernonia angustifolia Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 94. 1803
Chrysocoma graminifolia Walt. Fl. Car. 196. 1788.
Liatris umbellata Bertol. Nov. Comm. Bonon. 8: 79. 1S46.
Vernonia grawnn/o//a Trel.; Brann. & Cov. Rep. Geol. Surv. Ark. 1888* : 189. Jl 1891.
Cacalia graminifolia Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 968. N 1891.
Stems erect, simple to the inflorescence, 5-10 dm. high, glabrous, pubescent, or shorthirsute; leaves crowded, narrowly linear, 5-10 cm. long, revolute, 1-nerved, or the lower flat, narrowly oblong, and 5-10 mm. wide, scabrous above, .sparsely pubescent beneath, especially on the midvein, sparsely glandular-dotted; inflorescence ample, rather compact, 5-30 cm. wide; heads 1 1-21 -flowered; involucre eampanulate, 6 mm. high; scales usually red or purple, appressed or slightly spreading, glabrous or puberulent on the back, ciliate or entire, the outer triangular-subulate, the inner lance-ovate, subacute to acuminate; achenes pubescent on the ribs, resinous and dark-dotted in the furrows, 3 mm. long; pappus usually purple, the bristles 6.5 mm., the narrow scales 0.5-0.7 mm. long.
Type locality: Carolina.
Distribution: North Carolina to Florida and Mississippi.

Vernonia scaberrima Nutt. Gen. 2: 134. 1818
Vernonia brevifolia Raf. New Fl. 4: 77. 1838. Veronia angustifolia (3 T. & G. Fl. N. Am. 2: 59. 1841.
Vernonia angustifolia scaberrima A. Gray, Syn. Fl. N. Am. 1-: 91. 1884.
Stems erect, simple or sparingly branched, glabrous, or puberulent below; leaf-blades narrowly oblong, closely sessile, 2.5-7 cm. long, 2-10 mm. wide, acute or cuspidate, remotely denticulate, dilated and rounded or truncate at base, scabrous above, glandular-dotted and sparsely pubescent to nearly glabro.us beneath, the upper leaves gradually reduced; inflorescence loose, open, subumbellate; involucre campanulate, 6-7 mm. high; scales loosely imbricate, essentially glabrous on the back, minutely ciliate, lanceolate, long-acuminate into straight, erect or spreading tips; achenes densely short-pubescent, 2.5 mm. long, dark-dotted; pappus tawny, the bristles 5 mm. long, the scales narrow, 0.6 mm. long.
Type locality: South Carolina, Georgia, or Florida.
Distribution: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

Vernonia angustifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to the southeastern United States (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina). It was first described by André Michaux in 1803.