NameThatPlant.net: Oxypolis ternata

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Campanulids: Apiales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Oxypolis ternata FAMILY Apiaceae Go to FSUS key

Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.

Read more about Savanna Cowbane at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Oxypolis ternata FAMILY Apiaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED) Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida (Wunderlin & Hansen, 2011)

Oxypolis denticulata

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 140-34-002:

Oxypolis ternata FAMILY Apiaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Oxypolis ternata

COMMON NAME:
Savanna Cowbane

To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Oxypolis ternata, Savanna Cowbane

JK Marlow jkm161001_759

September Chesterfield County SC

Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge

Umbels composed of 5-11 rays, mostly 2-8cm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

JK Marlow jkm161001_761

October Chesterfield County SC

Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge

Leaves few, well-spaced; usually divided into 3 linear or threadlike segment, per Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011).

JK Marlow jkm161001_768

October Chesterfield County SC

Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge

So slender that it is hard to see among neighboring grasses and sedges, per Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011).

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Oxypolis ternata FAMILY Apiaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Oxypolis ternata FAMILY Apiaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED) Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida (Wunderlin & Hansen, 2011)
Oxypolis denticulata

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 140-34-002:
Oxypolis ternata FAMILY Apiaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Oxypolis ternata

4048

Forb
Perennial

Habitat: Wet pine savannas, sandhill seepages, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Uncommon in NC Coastal Plain (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

LEAVES:
Ternately compound, or unifoliolate (appearing simple)
Alternate

FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
White
Radially symmetrical
5-merous
5 petals
Inferior ovary
Bisexual

Flowers in compound umbels

FRUIT:
Fall
Schizocarp of two mericarps

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!

"We gardeners should be careful not to come between native birds and their partners, native plants. We've planted a number of nonnative species that are invading and degrading the wild habitats upon which birds depend. For example, Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) has aggressively formed monocultures across the US, and although birds readily consume its fruits, it is replacing once-diverse native food sources, including dogwoods and viburnums, limiting the nutritious variety of foods that were historically available throughout the year." — Janet Marinelli, The Wildlife Gardener's Guide

If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".

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