Elephantopus carolinianus
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = Elephantopus carolinianus kz2.jpg
|image_caption =
|status = G5
|status_system = TNC
|genus = Elephantopus
|species = carolinianus
|authority = Raeusch. 1797 not Willd. 1803
|synonyms = Elephantopus flexuosus Raf.
}}
Elephantopus carolinianus, with the common names Carolina elephantsfoot{{PLANTS|id=ELCA3|taxon=Elephantopus carolinianus|accessdate=21 June 2015}} or leafy elephant's foot,{{cite book|last1=Weakley|first1=Alan S.|title=Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States|date=May 2015|publisher=The University of North Carolina Herbarium|location=Chapel Hill, NC, USA|page=1115|url=http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/FloraArchives/WeakleyFlora_2015-05-29.pdf|accessdate=8 July 2015}} is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family. It is native to the south-central and southeastern United States.
Description
Elephantopus carolinianus is a perennial herb sometimes as much as 120 cm (4 feet) tall. Leaves are elliptic or ovate to lanceolate, up to 12 cm (5 inches) long, larger toward the base of the plant and decreasing in size moving up the stem. The leaves are darker on the upper side than they are on the lower side and are lightly hairy. They are alternate along the stem, becoming spaced further apart higher on the stem. At the plant's base, the leaves are very close together, as close as {{convert |.25|in|cm|1|order=flip|}} apart.{{cite web |title=Know Your Natives – Carolina Elephant’s-Foot |url=https://anps.org/2019/10/16/know-your-natives-carolina-elephants-foot/ |website=Arkansas Native Plant Society |language=en |date=16 October 2019}}
The plant produces numerous small flower heads in a tight cluster, each head generally containing only 4-5 florets. The cluster of flower heads is supported by 3 bracts that resemble leaves and are {{convert |1|-|3|cm|in|0}} long.{{cite web |title=Elephantopus carolinianus page |url=http://www.missouriplants.com/Elephantopus_carolinianus_page.html |website=www.missouriplants.com}} The lavender, or sometimes white, flowers bloom August to October.>[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242416470 Flora of North America, Elephantopus carolinianus Raeuschel, Nomencl. Bot. ed. 3. 256. 1797. ] Flowers last for one day.
Etymology
The genus name Elephantopus comes from the Greek words "elephantos" (elephant) and "pous" (foot). The term likely refers to the large basal leaves of some members of the genus.{{cite web |title=Elephantopus - FNA |url=http://floranorthamerica.org/Elephantopus |website=floranorthamerica.org}}
Distribution and habitat
The plant is native to the south-central and southeastern United States from Florida north as far as Ohio, Illinois, and Pennsylvania, west to Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.[http://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Elephantopus%20carolinianus.png Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map] It grows in open or shaded pine forests and mixed forests, with generally damp to wet soil, often sandy.
Ecology
The plant is the larval host for the Cremastobombycia ignota moth.{{cite web |title=HOSTS - The Hostplants and Caterpillars Database at the Natural History Museum |url=https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/hostplants/search/list.dsml?searchPageURL=index.dsml&Familyqtype=starts+with&Family=&PFamilyqtype=starts+with&PFamily=&Genusqtype=starts+with&Genus=&PGenusqtype=starts+with&PGenus=Elephantopus&Speciesqtype=starts+with&Species=&PSpeciesqtype=starts+with&PSpecies=carolinianus&Country=&sort=Family |website=www.nhm.ac.uk}}
File:Elephantopus carolinianus Raeusch Carolina elephantsfoot.tiff
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References
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External links
- [http://www.tropicos.org/ImageFullView.aspx?imageid=89126 Photo of herbarium specimen at Missouri Botanical Garden, collected in Missouri]
- [http://www.tropicos.org/ImageFullView.aspx?imageid=100304369 Photo by Gerrit Davidse, showing close-up of flowers]
- [http://www.tropicos.org/ImageFullView.aspx?imageid=100304367 Photo by Gerrit Davidse, showing habit]
{{Taxonbar|from=Q15582471}}