| Author | (L.) Bentham | |
| Distribution | One of the relatively few NC plants limited to the Piedmont, being found over this province with the exception of the extreme western, higher elevation portions. Ranges west to Forsyth, Iredell, and Cleveland counties. Note, however, that the species is a widespread one in the East, being present in the VA Mountains, and thus it could be found eventually in that province in NC.
This species ranges from New England west to IA, and south to central GA and eastern OK. | |
| Abundance | Infrequent in the eastern 40% of the Piedmont, west to Caswell, Randolph, and Union counties, but rare to uncommon farther west. In parts of the range where high pH soils are prevalent, including the southern Granville and northern Durham counties area, the species can be locally numerous. The website editors have recommended a State Rank without a ?, and have coded it as S3S4. | |
| Habitat | This is a species of dry to somewhat mesic soil, but only where it is high pH -- over rocks such as diabase, gabbro, and amphibolite. It favors glades and barrens, wooded borders, powerline clearings, and meadows, but it does grow into open upland woods. | |
| Phenology | Blooms from May to early July, and fruits from August to October. | |
| Identification | This is a medium-sized herb, growing unbranched to about 1.5-2 feet tall. It has a few scattered pairs of opposite leaves, each being lanceolate, about 2 inches long and 3/4-inch wide, nearly sessile with a rounded to cuneate base, with some small serrations. The inflorescence is somewhat unusual, with several (often 3-4) whorls of flowers separated by colored bracts. This flower cluster is about 3 inches tall and 1-inch wide (appearing cylindrical), and the flowers are lavender, speckled with purple dots, and about 1/3-inch long. The quite similar B. hirsuta is strictly a mountain plant in NC, averages taller, is quite hairy overall (as opposed to pubescent), and has quite noticeably long petioles, over 1/2-inch long. If you spend much time covering "Piedmont prairie" sites or other areas over such dry and high pH soils, this plant can be seen with some regularity, but over the large Piedmont as a whole it is certainly not a numerous plant. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | None
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| Other Common Name(s) | Downy Pagoda-plant | |
| State Rank | S3? [S3S4] | |
| Global Rank | G5 | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | | |
| USACE-emp | | |
