Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Alismatales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Pleea tenuifolia
FAMILY
Tofieldiaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Learn more about Pleea from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
In sterile condition, it is recognizable by its leathery equitant leaves, bright red at their bases, per Weakley's Flora (2022)
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Pleea tenuifolia
FAMILY
Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Pleea tenuifolia
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Pleea tenuifolia
SYNONYMOUS WITH The Genera of Tofieldiaceae in the southeastern US (Zomlefer, 1996)
Tofieldia tenuifolia
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 041-19-001:
Pleea tenuifolia FAMILY Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Pleea tenuifolia
COMMON NAME:
Rush-featherling, Pleea
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
Will Stuart wil_pleea_tenuifolia_259
September Brunswick County NC
Green Swamp
Perianth segments separate, lanceolate, 10-15mm long, persistent in fruit, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
Will Stuart wil_pleea_tenuifolia_306
September Brunswick County NC
Green Swamp
Slender flowering stems ~ 2x as tall as the mostly basal grasslike leaves, per Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005).
)
Will Stuart wil_pleea_tenuifolia_379
September Brunswick County NC
Green Swamp
Bracts of the inflorescence large, spathelike, acuminate-aristate at the tip, per Weakley's Flora (2015).
)
Will Stuart wil_pleea_tenuifolia_455
September Brunswick County NC
Green Swamp
New buds on flowering stem.
)
Will Stuart wil_pleea_tenuifolia_607
September Brunswick County NC
Green Swamp
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Pleea tenuifolia
FAMILY
Tofieldiaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Pleea tenuifolia
FAMILY
Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Pleea tenuifolia
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Pleea tenuifolia
SYNONYMOUS WITH
The Genera of Tofieldiaceae in the southeastern US (Zomlefer, 1996)
Tofieldia tenuifolia
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 041-19-001:
Pleea tenuifolia
FAMILY
Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Pleea tenuifolia
2855
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: Locally abundant in wet savannas, pocosin margins, usually in peaty soil, locally abundant in a few counties in se. NC, rare inland (very rarely as far as Cumberland County, NC), per Weakley's Flora
Native to North Carolina & Georgia
Uncommon in NC Coastal Plain (rare in GA)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Evergreen
Simple
Mostly basal
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
White/Cream
Radially symmetrical
6 tepals
(6-) 9 (-12) stamens
Bisexual
Inflorescence a raceme
FRUIT:
Fall
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p172
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005) p030
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".