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Floristic Inventory of the Florida Keys Database Online

Liatris tenuifolia Nutt. var. quadriflora
Chapm.
Shortleaf gayfeather

Liatris tenuifolia
Copyright by: Roger L. Hammer

Family: Asteraceae

Group: Dicot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Herb

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: Southeastern United States (Florida, Georgia).

IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status: Imperiled

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Cultivated

Comments: Weakley et al. (2017) elevate this to species rank: Liatris quadriflora (Chapm.) E.L. Bridges & Orzell. This is on our list to change in the FISF. The vast majority of plants in this group in South Florida appear to be this taxon. The Florida Atlas also reports Liatris tenuifolia for Miami-Dade County based on several specimens at USF, but these need to be examined. Liatris laevigata, which has previously been placed into synonymy under this taxon or confused with it on many species lists, is accepted also as a valid species by Weakley et al. (2017); it may be native to South Florida (e.g. Cooley et al. 9032 USF), but this also needs some investigation (E.L. Bridges, email comm. 2017).

Synonyms: Laciniaria laevigata, misapplied; Liatris laevigata, misapplied; Liatris tenuifolia, misapplied; Liatris tenuifolia var. laevigata, misapplied.

FLORIDA KEYS Occurrence: Present

FLORIDA KEYS Native Status: Native

IRC FLORIDA KEYS Status: Imperiled

Map of select IRC data for the Florida Keys

Florida Keys History and Distribution: Reported in 1913 by John Kunkel Small for pinelands in the lower Florida Keys.  We consider this native and extant only on Big Pine Key in the lower Keys.

Other data on Liatris tenuifolia var. quadriflora available from :


Liatris tenuifolia var. quadriflora has been reported from the following conservation area in the FLORIDA KEYS :
Occurrence Native Status
National Key Deer Refuge Present Native




Liatris tenuifolia var. quadriflora has been reported for the following habitat in THE FLORIDA KEYS :
Pine Rockland


All Images:

Liatris tenuifolia
Copyright by: Roger L. Hammer

Liatris tenuifolia
Copyright by: Mary Keim