| Author | (Pursh) Bentham | |
| Distribution | Present over most of the Mountains, but no records for the southwesternmost counties. Not known from the Piedmont.
This is a somewhat Midwestern species, ranging from VT and MN south to northern AL, but scarce east of the Appalachian Mountains. | |
| Abundance | Uncommon to infrequent at middle and higher elevations, but rare below perhaps 2500 feet elevation. | |
| Habitat | This species occurs on high pH soils, usually where somewhat moist and often rocky, and generally in shady places. It occurs in Rich Cove Forests, Boulderfield Forests, High Elevation Seep Forests, as well as along shaded river banks. | |
| Phenology | Blooms from late June to early August, and fruits from August to September. | |
| Identification | This is a rather tall herb, generally growing to about 3 feet tall, with several branches from the upper part of the stem. The stem and branches are quite hairy. There are scattered, paired (opposite) leaves, each with a moderate petiole to about 2/3-inch long, and a lanceolate leaf blade that is minutely serrate. The leaf blade is about 3 inches long and 1.5 inches wide. At the ends of the stem and branches is the flower cluster, consisting of several (often 3-4) whorls of white to pale lavender flowers, each with purple spots, and about 1/3-inch long. The cluster averages about 1-inch wide and 3 inches tall, with conspicuous leafy bracts separating the whorls. This species differs from the somewhat similar B. ciliata by 1) growing in the mountains and not in the Piedmont; 2) hairy stems as compared with pubescent stems; 3) leaves with distinct petioles versus nearly sessile leaves; 4) flowers that are whitish and not strongly lavender or light purple; and 5) overall height often approaching 3 feet tall. It may take some time to see this species, as it is not one of the more numerous of the rich forested soil species in the middle and higher elevations of the mountains. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | None
| |
| Other Common Name(s) | Hairy Pagoda-plant | |
| State Rank | S3? [S3] | |
| Global Rank | G5? | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | FACU link |
| USACE-emp | FACU link |
