Bigelowia nudata

Pineland rayless goldenrod
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Bigelowia
Species:	B. nudata
Binomial name
Bigelowia nudata (Michx.) DC.
Synonyms [1]
Aster nutatusKuntze Bigelowia virgata(Nutt.) DC. Chondrophora nudata(Michx.) Britton Chondrophora virgata(Nutt.) Greene Chrysocoma nudataMichx. Chrysocoma virgataNutt.

Bigelowia nudata, the pineland rayless goldenrod, ^[2] is a species of North American flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the coastal plain of the southeastern United States (from eastern Louisiana to North Carolina). ^[3]

Varieties ^[1]

• Bigelowia nudata var. australis(L.C.Anderson) Shinners - Florida Panhandle
• Bigelowia nudata var. nudata - from eastern Louisiana to North Carolina

Description

Bigelowia nudata is a sub-shrub that grows up to 70 cm (28 inches) tall, often forming clumps. Most of the leaves are in a rosette near the ground, with smaller and narrower leaves on the stems. They are alternately arranged, and are most commonly oblanceolate in shape. ^[4] Flower heads are small, yellow, and displayed in flat-topped arrays, each with 2-6 disc florets but no ray florets. The plants generally grow in swamps and bogs. ^{[5] [6]}

Distribution and habitat

B. nudata can be found throughout the southeast United States. Its native range stretches from Texas to North Carolina, but occurs most frequently between southern Mississippi and North Carolina. ^[7]

This species occurs primarily in mesic to wet habitat types. ^[8] It can be found in systems with moist sandy loam (such as pine barrens and savannas), as well as areas with rich sandy soils (such as those found in open pinelands and wet prairies). ^[6]

B. nudata, often occurring in ecosystems with a fire regime, has displayed a positive reaction to fire, having been observed to experience an increase in inflorescence after multiple burns have been conducted. ^[9]

References

1. The Plant List, Bigelowia nudata (Michx.) DC.
2. NRCS. "Bigelowia nudata". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 29 May 2015.
3. Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
4. "Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin". www.wildflower.org. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
5. Flora of North America, Pineland rayless-goldenrod, Bigelowia nudata (Michx.) DC.
6. Anderson, Loran Crittendon. 1970. Sida 3(7): 451-465
7. "USDA Plants Database". plants.usda.gov. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
8. Weakley, A. S. (2015). Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States. Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina Herbarium.
9. Hinman, Sarah E.; Brewer, J. Stephen (2007). "Responses of Two Frequently-Burned Wet Pine Savannas to an Extended Period without Fire". The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society. 134 (4): 512–526. ISSN   1095-5674.