Silphium laciniatum

Silphium laciniatum
Conservation status
Secure (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Tribe:	Heliantheae
Genus:	Silphium
Species:	S. laciniatum
Binomial name
Silphium laciniatum L.

Silphium laciniatum (Compass Flower, Compass Plant or Rosinweed) is a species of flowering plant in the genus Silphium. It is native to east-central North America, from southern Ontario and New York south to Alabama and west across the prairies to North Dakota and Colorado south to Texas.

Growth

It is a perennial herbaceous plant similar in appearance to a sunflower, growing to 1-4 m tall, with bristly-hairy stems. The leaves are alternately arranged, and deeply pinnately lobed; the basal leaves up to 40 cm long, becoming smaller higher up the stem. The flowers are produced in flowerheads (capitula) 5-12 cm diameter, with a ring of ray florets surrounding the 2-3 cm diameter center of disc florets. Flowering is in late summer, typically from July to September.

Characteristics

Compass plants are so named because they tend to align their foliage North - South to present the minimum surface area to the hot noon sunshine. The taproot of the compass plant may grow to more than 9-14 ft. deep, making it hardy and resistant to drought.

Medicinal uses

The plant was used in Native American herbal medicine as a vermifuge, and to treat coughs and asthma.Cultural

Cultural allusions

Aldo Leopold devotes much of the July entry in _A Sand County Almanac_ to Silphium -- its hardiness, but its slow disappearance nevertheless. "It is easy now to predict the future. For a few years my Silphium will try in vain to rise above the mowing machine, and then it will die. With it will die the prairie epoch.”

References

1. ^ "Silphium laciniatum". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Silphium+laciniatum+. Retrieved 2007-07-04. 

• Blanchan, Neltje (2002). Wild Flowers: An Aid to Knowledge of our Wild Flowers and their Insect Visitors. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. 
• Flora of North America: profile and map: Silphium laciniatum
• Germplasm Resources Information Network: Silphium laciniatum
• "Silphium laciniatum". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=38401. 
• Missouriplants: Silphium laciniatum
• Plants for a Future: Silphium laciniatum
• USDA Plant Profile: Silphium laciniatum
• Weaver, J.E. 1958. Classification of Root Systems of Forbs of Grassland and a Consideration of Their Significance. Ecology, Vol. 39, No. 3. pp. 394-401.

This Heliantheae article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: NatureServe Secure species Flora of the Eastern United States Flora of Colorado Flora of New Mexico Flora of Ontario Medicinal plants Silphium Heliantheae stubs Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую Qibla compass COMPASS Look at other dictionaries: Silphium laciniatum —   Silphium laciniatum …   Wikipedia Español Silphium laciniatum — Kompasspflanze Kompasspflanze Systematik Ordnung: Asternartige (Asterales) Familie …   Deutsch Wikipedia Silphium laciniatum — plunksnalapis legėstas statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Astrinių šeimos vaistinis augalas (Silphium laciniatum), paplitęs Šiaurės Amerikoje. atitikmenys: lot. Silphium laciniatum angl. compassplant; rosinweed šaltinis Valstybinės lietuvių… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas) Silphium laciniatum — Compass Com pass (k[u^]m pas), n. [F. compas, fr. LL. compassus circle, prop., a stepping together; com + passus pace, step. See {Pace}, {Pass}.] 1. A passing round; circuit; circuitous course. [1913 Webster] They fetched a compass of seven day s …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English Silphium laciniatum — ID 78538 Symbol Key SILA3 Common Name compassplant Family Asteraceae Category Dicot Division Magnoliophyta US Nativity Native to U.S. US/NA Plant Yes State Distribution AL, AR, CO, DC, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, ND, NE, NM, NY, OH,… …   USDA Plant Characteristics Silphium laciniatum — noun North American perennial having a resinous odor and yellow flowers • Syn: ↑rosinweed • Hypernyms: ↑compass plant, ↑compass flower • Member Holonyms: ↑Silphium, ↑genus Silphium …   Useful english dictionary Silphium laciniatum var. laciniatum — ID 78539 Symbol Key SILAL2 Common Name compassplant Family Asteraceae Category Dicot Division Magnoliophyta US Nativity Native to U.S. US/NA Plant Yes State Distribution AR, CO, DC, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, SD,… …   USDA Plant Characteristics Silphium laciniatum var. robinsonii — ID 78540 Symbol Key SILAR Common Name Robinson s compassplant Family Asteraceae Category Dicot Division Magnoliophyta US Nativity Native to U.S. US/NA Plant Yes State Distribution AL, AR, IN, KY, LA, MS, OK, TN, TX Growth Habit Forb/herb …   USDA Plant Characteristics Silphium laciniatum L. — Symbol SILA3 Common Name compassplant Botanical Family Asteraceae …   Scientific plant list Silphium laciniatum L. var. laciniatum — Symbol SILAL2 Common Name compassplant Botanical Family Asteraceae …   Scientific plant list 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”