Stokesia is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the daisy family, Asteraceae, containing the single species Stokesia laevis. Common names include Stokes' aster and stokesia.[2][3] The species is native to the southeastern United States.
Stokesia laevis | |
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Conservation status | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
(unranked): | Angiosperms |
(unranked): | Eudicots |
(unranked): | Asterids |
Order: | Asterales |
Family: | Asteraceae |
Tribe: | Vernonieae |
Genus: | Stokesia L'Héritier de Brutelle |
Species: | S. laevis (Hill) Greene |
Binomial name | |
Stokesia laevis | |
Synonyms | |
Carthamus laevis[1] |
The flowers appear in the summer and are purple, blue, or white in nature.[1] The plant is cultivated as a garden flower. Several cultivars are available, including the cornflower blue 'Klaus Jelitto', 'Colorwheel', which is white, turning purple over time, and 'Blue Danube', which has a blue flower head with a white center.[4] More unusual cultivars include the pink-flowered 'Rosea' and yellow-flowered 'Mary Gregory'.[5]
Like a few other plants (such as some species of Vernonia), it contains vernolic acid, a vegetable oil with commercial applications.[6]
The genus is named after Jonathan Stokes (1755–1831), English botanist and physician.[1]
Taxon identifiers | |
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Stokesia laevis |
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Carthamus laevis |
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