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Plant Profile

Godfrey's Blazingstar (Liatris provincialis)

Global Rank: G2 - Imperiled
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Asteraceae
State: FL
Nature Serve ID: 145085
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection: 02/25/1988

Description:

Liatris provincialis, or Godfrey's blazing star, is a perennial herb with beautiful bright purple flowers. The narrow flower spikes, which open from late August to mid-September, can be 6 - 12 inches long. The individual flower heads have very short or no stalks, and spread at right angles to the stem. Like L. ohlingerae, Godfrey's blazing star has only disk flowers (no ray flowers), and it has pointed, gland-dotted bracts that are usually purplish. The pappus is white with barbed bristles. The flower stems grow to a height of 1 - 2.5 feet, rising from hairless, grass-like basal leaves. These 6 inch long basal leaves have a raised midrib beneath, and they are dotted with glands on both surfaces. The stem leaves grow opposite one another and are reduced in size as they get closer to the top of the stem. (FNAI 2000)

Where is Godfrey's Blazingstar (Liatris provincialis) located in the wild?

Habitat:

Godfrey's blazing star occurs in a geographically-limited, coastal-dune range along the western coast of North Central Florida, and inland in panhandle scrub and sandhill habitats. Liatris provincialis prefers somewhat open, disturbed areas. When the canopy closes, it tends to grow only in open fire lines, stabilized sand coastal longleaf/sand pine scrub oak barrens, and borders of mesic flatwoods. In the sandhills of St. Mark's National Wildlife Refuge, L. provinciallis tends to be in areas that were disturbed or areas recently burned (NatureServe 2001).

Distribution:

Liatris provincialis is endemic to Florida and occurs in two counties in the eastern panhandle areas. It is found in Wakulla and Franklin Counties (NatureServe 2001).

States & Provinces:

Godfrey's Blazingstar can be found in Florida

Which CPC Partners conserve Godfrey's Blazingstar (Liatris provincialis)?

Bok Tower Gardens

Not Sponsored

Conservation Actions

Assigned 06/09/17

CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

Conservation Actions

Tina Stanley

05/11/2023

According to a March 2023 extract of the Florida Plant Rescue Database, Bok Tower Gardens holds 6 accessions of Liatris provincialis totalling approximately 17373 seeds.

09/18/2020

Studies on seeds in long-term storage. (NatureServe. 2001)

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

A species with a very small geographic range in the panhandle of Florida. This species' habitat has been destroyed by commercial development of coastal dunes and by the overgrowth of pines due to fire suppression.

S.K. Maddox

01/01/2010

Exclusion of fire, or other disturbance. Development of the coastal areas. Disturbance in the transition zones between flatwoods, scrub, and sandhills. (FNAI 2000)

S.K. Maddox

01/01/2010

It has been reported that there are 54 known populations of Godfrey's blazing star, all in the Florida panhandle. Nineteen of these sites are on protected lands, located mostly in St. Mark's Wildlife Refuge. There have been some large populations found in clearcuts on private timber lands (FNAI 2000).

S.K. Maddox

01/01/2010

There are no research programs currently under way for Liatris provincialis. (FNAI 2001)

S.K. Maddox

01/01/2010

The Nature Conservancy is managing a population at the John S. Phipps Preserve, where controlled burns are used to burn no more than 1/2 of the population at any time. The population is being monitored, and access to the area is restricted. Storm activity during the last several years has had a negative impact on this population (NatureServe 2001).

S.K. Maddox

01/01/2010

Further research on: Pollination mechanics--is the species self fertile Vegetative reproduction Cause of low viability in seeds Does. L. provincialis have a seed bank Can it be transplanted How long does it take the plant to reach reproductive maturity To what extent do migratory butterfly populations depend on L. provincialis Should it be managed for the support of butterflies (NatureServe 2001)

S.K. Maddox

01/01/2010

Studies on seeds in long-term storage. (NatureServe. 2001)