New England thoroughwort
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Eupatorium
Species:
E. novae-angliae
Binomial name
Eupatorium novae-angliae
(Fernald) V.Sullivan ex A.Haines & Sorie 2005[1][2]
Synonyms[1][2]
  • Eupatorium leucolepis var. novaeangliae Fern. 1937

Eupatorium novae-angliae, commonly called New England boneset,[1] New England justiceweed[3] or New England thoroughwort,[4] is a rare and endangered North American species in the family Asteraceae. It is found only in 4 counties in southern New England (Plymouth and Barnstable Counties in Massachusetts, plus Newport and Washington Counties in Rhode Island).[2] The species is listed as endangered species in both states.[4]

Specimens of Eupatorium novae-angliae have been collected for many years, classified by botanists as the more widespread species E. leucolepis, found from Long Island to Texas. More recent analysis of chromosomes reveals that the New England plants do not appear to be closely related to E. leucolepis. Eupatorium novae-angliae first formed as a hybrid between two other species, neither of them E. leucolepis. .[2][5][6] It is self-sustaining, rather than being found only where both parents are present, so various authors since 1992 have proposed treating it as a distinct species.[7] A formal renaming was published in 2005.[1][8]

Eupatorium novae-angliae is a tall perennial sometimes over 3 feet (90 cm) tall. It has opposite, lance-shaped leaves, and flat-topped arrays of a large number of tiny flower heads. Each head has 5 white disc florets but no ray florets.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 The International Plant Names Index
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Eupatorium leucolepis". Flora of North America.
  3. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Eupatorium novae-angliae". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  4. 1 2 Go Botany, New England Wildflower Society, Eupatorium novae-angliae, New England thoroughwort includes photos, ecological information, description, distribution map
  5. Schilling, Edward E.; Leblond, Richard J.; Sorrie, Bruce A.; Weakley, Alan S. (2007). "Relationships Of The New England Boneset, Eupatorium Novae-Angliae (Asteraceae)". Rhodora. 109 (938): 145. doi:10.3119/0035-4902(2007)109[145:ROTNEB]2.0.CO;2.
  6. "Eupatorium leucolepis var. novae-angliae Fern., Taxonomic Serial number 528112". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
  7. Ted Elliman (2001). "Eupatorium leucolepis (DC.) T. & G. var. novae-angliae Fern.: New England Boneset Conservation and Research Plan for New England" (PDF). New England Wild Flower Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-10-02. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  8. Arthur Haines & Bruce Alexander Sorie. 2005. Botanical Notes 11: 2.
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