Elephantopus elatus

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Elephantopus elatus
Tall Elephant's Foot - Elephantopus elatus, Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge, McBee, South Carolina (36996995526).jpg
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Elephantopus
Species:
E. elatus
Binomial name
Elephantopus elatus

Elephantopus elatus, common name tall elephantsfoot, [2] is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the southeastern United States from eastern Louisiana to South Carolina. [3]

Contents

Description

Elephantopus elatus is a perennial herb up to 70 cm (28 in) tall. Leaves are oblanceolate, up to 20 cm (7.9 in) long, darker on the upper side than they are on the lower side. The plant produces numerous small flower heads in a tight cluster, each head generally containing only 4-5 florets. [4] [5] [6] This species flowers from August to November. [7]

Distribution and habitat

The species' range extends from South Carolina to Florida, stretching westward to Louisiana. [8]

It has been observed in habitats such as pine flatwoods, sandhills, oak hammocks, and other well-drained environments. [7] [9] Within the southern region of Florida, Elephantopus elatus is primarily to dry mesic communities, which occur on poorly drained Spodosols. [10]

This species possesses the ability to persevere through repeated burns. [11]

References

  1. ↑ "Elephantopus elatus". NatureServe Explorer. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  2. ↑ NRCS. "Elephantopus elatus". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  3. ↑ Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
  4. ↑ Flora of North America, Elephantopus elatus Bertoloni, Mem. Reale Accad. Sci. Ist. Bologna. 2: 607. 1850.
  5. ↑ Bertoloni, Antonio 1850. Memorie della Reale Accademia delle Scienze dell' Istituto di Bologna 2: 607 description in Latin
  6. ↑ Bertoloni, Antonio 1850. Memorie della Reale Accademia delle Scienze dell' Istituto di Bologna 2: Plate 45 full-page line drawing of Elephantopus elatus
  7. 1 2 Weakley, A.S. 2020. Flora of the Southeastern United States. Edition of 20 October 2020. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
  8. ↑ "USDA Plants Database". plants.usda.gov. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  9. ↑ Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: June 2014.  Collectors: R.K. Godfrey, R. D. Houk, R. L. Lazor, John Lazor, K. E. Blum, J. Wooten, James D. Ray, Jr., O. Lakela, A. F. Clewell, J. P. Gillespie, R. E. Perdue, Cecil R Slaughter, Loran C. Anderson, Brenda Herring, Don Herring, Gary R. Knight, Robert Kral, D. B. Ward, T. Myint, Richard S. Mitchell, E. L. Tyson, S. S. Ward, R. R. Smith, A. A. Will, Paul O. Schallert, L. Baltzell, Paul L. Redfearn, Jr., R. Komarek, MacClendons, G. Wilder, and Billie Bailey. States and Counties: Florida: Bay, Calhoun, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Marion, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St Johns, Taylor, Volusia, Wakulla, and Walton. Georgia:  Grady and Thomas.
  10. ↑ Orzell, S.L. and E.L. Bridges. 2006. "Species composition and environmental characteristics of Florida dry prairies from the Kissimmee River region of south-central Florida". Pages 100-135 in Land of fire and water: The Florida dry prairie ecosystem. Proceedings of the Florida Dry Prairie Conference, R. F. Noss (ed).
  11. ↑ Glitzenstein, J. S., D. R. Streng, R. E. Masters, K. M. Robertson and S. M. Hermann 2012. "Fire-frequency effects on vegetation in north Florida pinelands: Another look at the long-term Stoddard Fire Research Plots at Tall Timbers Research Station". Forest Ecology and Management 264: 197-209.


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