North Carolina Wildflowers, Shrubs, & Trees

by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Back to Jeff's Plant Page | Jeff's Nature Pages


Asteraceae > Rugelia

Rugel's Indianplantain, Rugel's Ragwort (Rugelia nudicaulis) Rugel's Indianplantain, Rugel's Ragwort (Rugelia nudicaulis)
Swain Co., NC
12 July 2011

Ray flowers are absent. Treated variously as Senecio rugelia or Cacalia rugelia, current evidences supports elevating this taxon to a monotypic genus.

Rugel's Indianplantain, Rugel's Ragwort (Rugelia nudicaulis) Rugel's Indianplantain, Rugel's Ragwort (Rugelia nudicaulis)
Swain Co., NC
12 July 2011

Rugelia nudicaulis is endemic to the Great Smoky Mountains of western NC & eastern TN.

Rugel's Indianplantain, Rugel's Ragwort (Rugelia nudicaulis) Rugel's Indianplantain, Rugel's Ragwort (Rugelia nudicaulis)
Swain Co., NC
12 July 2011

A few relatively small cauline leaves are present.

Rugel's Indianplantain, Rugel's Ragwort (Rugelia nudicaulis) Rugel's Indianplantain, Rugel's Ragwort (Rugelia nudicaulis)
Swain Co., NC
12 July 2011

Overall the plants grow to just a foot or two tall.



Annotated habitat and distribution information listed above is from Radford, Ahles, & Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. UNC Press; Alan Weakley's Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia; and from personal observations and discussions with Will Cook, Harry LeGrand, and Bob Wilbur. Supplemental resources include USDA plants website, and NatureServe.


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Created on ... July 24, 2011 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com