| Author | (L.) J.A. Clevinger | |
| Distribution | Mostly Piedmont and low Mountains; rare in northeastern Coastal Plain.
NY to IL, south to GA and AL. | |
| Abundance | Apparently uncommon in the Mountains and Piedmont, rare in the Coastal Plain. | |
| Habitat | Dry to mesic soil of open woodlands, prairie-like areas, woodland margins, roadsides. | |
| Phenology | Flowering and fruiting June-early September. | |
| Identification | The Silphium asteriscus complex consists of 5 varieties, according to FNA and Weakley, 4 of which occur in NC. Plants grow mostly 3-5 feet tall, with lance-shaped to ovate leaves and a rather small inflorescence of nearly erect branches terminating in yellow heads. Basal leaves are absent at flowering time. The involucral bracts (at the base of each head) are broad, rounded, and thick-textured; thus they differ strongly from bracts of sunflowers (Helianthus). Variety asteriscus and var. dentatum have rough surfaces to leaves, vs. smooth in var. trifoliatum and latifolium. Leaves of the former are mostly whorled (3-4 at each node) vs. mostly opposite in the latter. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | In some texts, treated as S. trifoliatum.
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| Other Common Name(s) | | |
| State Rank | S3 | |
| Global Rank | G5T4 | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | | |
| USACE-emp | | |
