Stokesia is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the daisy family, Asteraceae, containing the single species Stokesia laevis. Common names include Stokes' aster and stokesia.[3][1] The species is native to the southeastern United States.

Stokesia laevis

Apparently Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Cichorioideae
Tribe: Vernonieae
Genus: Stokesia
L'Hér.
Species:
S. laevis
Binomial name
Stokesia laevis
(Hill) Greene
Synonyms

Carthamus laevis[2]

The flowers appear in the summer and are purple, blue, or white in nature.[2] The plant is cultivated as a garden flower. Several cultivars are available, including the cornflower blue 'Klaus Jelitto', 'Colorwheel', which is white, turning purple over time, and 'Blue Danube', which has a blue flower head with a white center.[4] More unusual cultivars include the pink-flowered 'Rosea' and yellow-flowered 'Mary Gregory'.[5]

Like a few other plants (such as some species of Vernonia), it contains vernolic acid, a vegetable oil with commercial applications.[6]

The genus is named after Jonathan Stokes (1755–1831), English botanist and physician.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Stokesia laevis. NatureServe. 2012.
  2. ^ a b c Stokesia L’Héritier. Flora of North America.
  3. ^ "Stokesia laevis". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  4. ^ Stokesia laevis. Missouri Botanical Garden.
  5. ^ Stokesia laevis. Floridata.
  6. ^ Cahoon, E. B., et al. (2002). Transgenic production of epoxy fatty acids by expression of a cytochrome p450 enzyme from Euphorbia lagascae seed. Plant Physiology 128(2), 615-24.
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