Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Section: Common Name: Scientific Name: Family:
Account for Roan Mountain Rattlesnake-root - Nabalus roanensis   Chickering
Members of Asteraceae:
Members of Nabalus with account distribution info or public map:
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AuthorChickering
DistributionMountains only, and generally at high elevations. Specimens should be checked to see if any are N. cylindricus, which is lumped in FNA and RAB (1968).

Endemic to the Mountains of southwestern VA, western NC, and eastern TN.
AbundanceGenerally uncommon, but can be locally common. This is a Watch List species. Note that with N. cylindricus split out as a new species, the abundance and distribution of N. roanensis is now a bit unsettled.
HabitatMesic, montane hardwood forests, spruce-fir forests and openings, grassy balds, roadbanks -- at middle and high elevations only.
PhenologyFlowering and fruiting August-October.
IdentificationLike N. cylindricus, this species has a narrow, cylindrical inflorescence, with drooping flowers. It differs in its pubescent stems (vs. glabrate in N. cylindricus) and leaves just hastate or arrowhead shaped (vs. at least 3-5 lobed in the latter species). Other montane Nabalus species have a more widely branched inflorescence.
Taxonomic CommentsFormerly, Cylindrical Rattlesnake-root was lumped here without rank. Note that the North American members of this genus were all placed in the genus Prenanthes until recently.

Other Common Name(s)Roan Rattlesnake-root (a misleading name, as "roan" refers to a reddish or rusty color); the scientific name refers to Roan Mountain.
State RankS3
Global RankG3
State StatusW1
US Status
USACE-agcp
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