Favoritos de wildlander

vs. L. hirsuta. Just not as squarrose/recurved at the involucral bracts as I'd like to see. Maybe will develop such as season progresses. Most in < 1 inch soil over flat limestone boulders or at crevices with some in more soil on or between same rocks. Variable in form of height, flowering stems, flower heads per stem, shape of tip and degree of recurve of bracts and degree of hairs on stems and leaves. Almost all in patch within 3 sq meters footprint and at ledge of escarpment.

Rocky roadside with Pinus virginiana, Schizachyrium scoparium, Phemeranthus piedmontanus, Trifolium virginicum, Packera paupercula, Hypericum prolificum, Parthenium auriculatum, Solidago nemoralis, Smilax rotundifolia, Lobelia spicata, Dichanthelium cf depauperatum, Oenothera cf fruticosa, Minuartia patula, Scleria paucifolia, Melica mutica, and Symphyotrichum cf dumosum. Groundwater surfaced and the thin soil was saturated and slick. Exposed fractured/eroded bedrock was red with sparkles and what appeared to be gas bubbles on the surface, light brown on the inside.

??? I only got this one crappy photo because this plant was near a Monarda fistulosa individual, and I just assumed it was a color variant. I was not aware that M. brevis existed. But, this looks like a pretty good fit. Found on an extremely steep limestone barren, accessed via rappel.

Rare low shrub, growing high on inaccessible dry exposed cliff. A remote, high quality area.

I batted some flowers down with a very long stick.

(shrub with flowers visible in upper right portion of cliff photo)

See this herbarium specimen which I used to help locate https://dbs.kaum.kagoshima-u.ac.jp/musedb/s_plant/picture/KAG122440/KAG122440.jpg