Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Campanulids: Asterales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (5/21/15):
Coreopsis major var. major
FAMILY
Asteraceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Coreopsis major at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
The 2022 draft of Weakley's Flora does not recognize the two varieties, but offers this info: "Sometimes recognized in C. major are two varieties: var. major (with leaf blades rather densely short-pubescent, outer phyllaries rather densely short-pubescent, middle leaflet of median leaves 10-30mm wide, and leaflets herbaceous) and var. rigida (with leaf blades slightly short-pubescent to glabrous, outer phyllaries slightly short-pubescent to glabrous, middle leaflet of median leaves 5-10 (-12) mm wide, leaflets subcoriaceous and stiff). Variation and poor correlation of these features as stated and the presence of significant and apparently variation in other features requires additional study before a satisfying taxonomy can be presented." Read more by downloading the PDF.
Various authors have described several varieties of C. major. It is clear that there are two main forms. One has downy pubescent, thin leaves that are wide and another has narrower, leathery, thick leaves that are smooth. There are diploid and polyploid complexes within this group, and it is likely that several segregate taxa will one day be recognized as distinct. Read more in A Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina, 2nd ed..
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Coreopsis major
FAMILY
Asteraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-69-009a:
Coreopsis major var. major FAMILY Asteraceae
INCLUDED WITHIN Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Coreopsis major
COMMON NAME:
Whorled Coreopsis, Woodland Coreopsis
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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JK Marlow jkm120506_671b
May Oconee County SC
The recognition of [C. major] varieties is problematic and controversial, per Weakley's Flora.
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JK Marlow jkm120525_295
May Oconee County SC
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JK Marlow jkm170527_040
May Abbeville County SC
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JK Marlow jkm170527_042
May Abbeville County SC
Middle leaflet of median leaves 10-30mm wide [wider than var. rigida], per Weakley's Flora (2015).
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JK Marlow jkm170527_046
May Abbeville County SC
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JK Marlow jkm170527_047
May Abbeville County SC
Outer phyllaries rather densely short-pubescent, per Weakley's Flora (2015).
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JK Marlow jkm170527_051
May Abbeville County SC
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JK Marlow jkm0506h_15
June Oconee County SC
Less common than var. stellata [rigida], and with pubescent stems & leaves, per Great Smoky Mountains Wildflowers (Campbell, Hutson, Sharp, & Hutson, 1962).
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JK Marlow jkm0506j_20
June Oconee County SC
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JK Marlow jkm140614_928
June Oconee County SC
The opposite paired leaves are so deeply cut they resemble 6 whorled leaves, per Great Smoky Mountains Wildflowers (Campbell, Hutson, Sharp, & Hutson, 1962).
COMPARE
leaves of Indian Cucumberroot, Starry Campion, Whorled Coreopsis and Loosestrife
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JK Marlow jkm140614_987
June Oconee County SC
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JK Marlow jkm140614_990b
June Oconee County SC
Rays yellow and not (or inconspicuously) toothed; disc flowers yellow or red, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
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JK Marlow jkm140614_993
June Oconee County SC
Outer involucral bracts oblong or oblanceolate, 2-10mm; inner lanceolate 5-8mm, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
COMPARE
involucral bracts of Bidens and Coreopsis
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JK Marlow jkm210626_1637
June Oconee County SC
Two varieties side by side: var. major in lower left; var. rigida upper right.
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (5/21/15):
Coreopsis major var. major
FAMILY
Asteraceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Coreopsis major
FAMILY
Asteraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-69-009a:
Coreopsis major var. major
FAMILY
Asteraceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Coreopsis major
372
Forb
Perennial
Look for it in woodlands, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
LEAVES:
Palmately compound: 3(5) leaflets
Opposite appearing whorled
Leaves sessile
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Rays: Yellow
Disc: Yellow/Red
Disk flowers have 5 corolla lobes & 5 anthers
Inferior ovary
Disc flowers bisexual/ Ray flowers pistillate
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
Black
Achene
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- All About South Carolina Wildflowers (Midgley, 1999) p137?
- Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005) p044?
- Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee (Hunter, 2002) p118?
- Great Smoky Mountains Wildflowers (Campbell, Hutson, Sharp, & Hutson, 1962) p096
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001) p211?
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p268
- Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Newcomb, 1977) p394?
- Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry (Porcher, 1995) p169?
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999) p125?
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005) P274?
- Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005) p287?
- Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005) p336?
- Wildflowers & Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont (Spira, 2011) p355?
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p194?
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".