Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Account for Ravenel's Eryngo - Eryngium aquaticum var. ravenelii   A. Gray
Members of Apiaceae:
Members of Eryngium with account distribution info or public map:
Google Images
Section 6 » Order Apiales » Family Apiaceae
Show/Hide Synonym
AuthorA. Gray
DistributionReported from a few savannas (over marl) in Pender and Onslow counties. NOTE: In August of 2022 Weakley reported that all NC material proves to be nominate var. aquaticum and that ravenelii, whether a variety or full species, does not occur in NC.

This taxon ranges from southeastern SC to southwestern GA and northern FL.
AbundanceReported falsely. NCNHP dropped the variety from its rare list in late 2022 owing to it not being a valid taxon.
HabitatThis is a taxon of wet pine savannas, believed to be located mostly over marl substrates.
PhenologyBlooms from July to September, and fruits shortly after flowering.
IdentificationThis is a taxon extremely similar to E. aquaticum, as it is often considered as a variety of it. See that species account for general appearance. Var. ravenelii differs by 1) more rounded umbellets, whereas those in E. aquaticum var. aquaticum are somewhat taller than wide; 2) fewer heads/umbellets than in the latter variety; and 3) the cusps of the bractlets are about equal in length, as opposed to the middle cusp of the bractlet being much longer than the lateral cusps in var. aquaticum. E. integrifolium also has sky-blue flowers, but its leaves are relatively short, and the blades of the basal and lower stem leaves are mainly no more than 3-4" long, with a length to width ratio about 1.5-3, as opposed to about 5 times longer than wide.
Taxonomic CommentsSee above. Weakley (2018, 2022) considered it as a good species.

Other Common Name(s)Ravenel's Swamp Rattlesnake-master
State RankSRF
Global RankG4T2T3
State Status
US Status
USACE-agcp
USACE-emp
County Map - click on a county to view source of record.
Photo Gallery
photographercommentsphoto_linkcountyobsType
B.A. SorrieSt. Marks NWR, FL, 1996. Scan from slide. Photo_non_NCPhoto_non_NC