Asteraceae, the daisy, sunflower, or composite family.
Description:
Plant:
Erect plant 2'-6', with straight, often purple stem, and whorled leaves,
topped by rounded cluster of fuzzy pink flower heads. Perennial.
Flowers:
Pink heads with fuzzy appearance, 1/4'-3/8" wide, containing only disk flowers,
in terminal rounded cluster up to 6" across.
Leaves:
In whorls of generally 3 or 4 spaced along stem, ovate, toothed, with short
petiole, 3"-12" long.
Fruit:
Dry, seed-like (achene).
Blooming:
July-September
Habitat:
Wet areas, damp forest boundaries.
Comments:
One of a few similar joe-pye weeds in our area.
Distinguished from E. maculata (spotted joe-pye-weed) by
leaves in whorls of 3-4 rather than 4-5, generally broader leaves,
and less fuzzy appearance (4-7 flowers in a head rather than 10-16).
The joe-pye-weeds have recently been moved from the genus Eupatoreum
which they shared with the bonesets, to the new genus Eutrochium
on the basis of genetic studies.
Where to find it:
I have found a single, dwarfed instance of this plant at the west end
of the pond near the boneset and closed gentians.