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Native Plant Trust: Go Botany Discover thousands of New England plants

Nabalus serpentarius — lion's-foot rattlesnake-root

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Facts

Lion's-foot rattlesnake-root is found in Eastern North America, and is abundant until it reaches the northern end of its range in New England. There are herbarium collections of this species from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, but extant populations are known only in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), cliffs, balds, or ledges, forest edges, sandplains and barrens, talus and rocky slopes, woodlands

New England distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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North America distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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Characteristics

Habitat
terrestrial
New England state
  • Connecticut
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
Leaf type
leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
Leaf arrangement
  • alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
  • basal: the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant
Leaf blade edges
  • the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
  • the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
Flower type in flower heads
the flower head has ray flowers only, meaning all of the individual flowers of the flower head have a strap-shaped ray, which may or may not have teeth at the very tip of the ray
Ray flower color
  • white
  • yellow
Tuft or plume on fruit
at least a part of the plume is made up of fine bristles
Spines on plant
the plant has no spines
Leaf blade length
50–200 mm
Disk flower number
NA
Show all characteristics

  • Flowers

    Bract color
    the bracts are colored, or at least tinged with, pink, red or purple
    Bract cycle number
    there is one main cycle of bracts
    Bract outer side hair type
    the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces, with curled, tangled, matted, or woolly hairs
    Bract outer side hairs
    the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces
    Bract shape
    • the main bracts are elliptic (widest near the middle and tapered towards the base and tip)
    • the main bracts are lanceolate (widest above the base, then taper narrowly towards the tip)
    Bract spines
    the bracts have no spines
    Bract tip extension appearance
    NA
    Bract tip extension edge
    there are no projections from the bract tips
    Bract tip shape
    the tips of the bracts acute (have a sharp point)
    Bracts
    the bracts in separate cycles are similar or gradually changing from the outer to inner cycles
    Disk flower color
    NA
    Disk flower lobe number
    NA
    Disk flower number
    NA
    Disk flower proportions
    NA
    Disk flower reproductive parts
    NA
    Disk flower shape
    NA
    Flower head number
    each flowering stem has four or more flower heads on it
    Flower head outer flowers
    at the outer edge of the flower head, each flower has a single enlarged lobe or strap
    Flower head platform
    the base has no bristles or papery scales
    Flower head platform surface
    NA
    Flower head profile
    the disk is rounded across the top
    Flower head shape
    the sides of the flower head are roughly parallel, like a cylinder
    Flower type in flower heads
    the flower head has ray flowers only, meaning all of the individual flowers of the flower head have a strap-shaped ray, which may or may not have teeth at the very tip of the ray
    Height of flower head base
    12–15 mm
    Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
    NA
    Inflorescence shape
    • the inflorescence is flat-topped in profile
    • the inflorescence is not flat-topped but appears rounded, with some flower heads distinctly higher than others
    Inflorescence stem
    hairs are present on the stem of the inflorescence
    Number of bracts at flower head base
    7–10
    Ovary beak
    • there is a beak on the ovary
    • there is no beak on the ovary
    Ovary cross-section
    the ovary has five or more corners in cross-section
    Ovary hair type
    the ovary has no hairs on it
    Ovary hairs
    the ovary has no hairs on it
    Ovary lines or ribs
    • there are seven to nine ribs visible on the ovary
    • there are ten or more ribs visible on the ovary
    Ovary surface
    the ovary surface has no points, bumps or wrinkles, though it may have lines, ribs or wings
    Ray flower color
    • white
    • yellow
    Ray flower reproductive parts
    the ray flowers have both carpels and stamens
    Ray flowers
    • 11-15
    • 6-10
    Ray length
    9–15 mm
    Reproductive system
    NA
    Scale tip
    NA
    Smaller bracts at base of bracts
    there is no smaller, outer cycle of bracts
    Swelling at base of flower head
    the peduncles are not swollen, or only slightly
    Width of flower head base
    4–5 mm

  • Fruits or seeds

    Number of pappus parts
    11 or more
    Ovary length in developed fruit
    5–8 mm
    Seed hair tuft details
    the pappus hairs are hooked or barbed
    Seed hair tuft length
    7–8 mm
    Seed hair tuft tips
    the pappus hairs are slender
    Tuft or plume on fruit
    at least a part of the plume is made up of fine bristles

  • Glands or sap

    Sap
    the sap is milky and opaque, and may be white or colored

  • Growth form

    Growth form
    the plant has one or more free-standing stems
    Plant lifespan
    the plant is perennial, it shows evidence of previous year's leaves, stems or stem bases
    Spines on plant
    the plant has no spines
    Underground organs
    there is a thickened taproot on the plant

  • Leaves

    Final leaf segment length (compound lvs only)
    0 mm
    Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)
    0 mm
    Hairs on underside of leaf blade
    • the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
    • the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
    Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
    • the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
    • the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
    Leaf arrangement
    • alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
    • basal: the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant
    Leaf blade base
    • the leaf has a distinct petiole
    • the leaf has no petiole
    Leaf blade base shape
    the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
    Leaf blade edges
    • the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
    • the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
    Leaf blade hairs
    • NA
    • the leaf blade has tangled or woolly-looking hairs
    Leaf blade length
    50–200 mm
    Leaf blade shape
    • the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
    • the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
    Leaf blade tip
    • the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)
    • the tip of the leaf blade is obtuse (bluntly pointed)
    Leaf blade width
    40–100 mm
    Leaf disposition
    the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
    Leaf spines
    there are no spines on the leaf edges
    Leaf stalk
    • the leaves have leaf stalks
    • the leaves have no leaf stalks, but attach directly to the stem
    Leaf type
    leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
    Leaflet number
    0
    Specific leaf type
    the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets

  • Place

    Habitat
    terrestrial
    New England state
    • Connecticut
    • Massachusetts
    • New Hampshire
    • Rhode Island
    Specific habitat
    • cliffs, balds, or ledges
    • edges of forests
    • man-made or disturbed habitats
    • sandplains or barrens
    • talus or rocky slopes
    • woodlands

  • Stem, shoot, branch

    Leaves on stem
    there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
    Stem internode hair direction
    the hairs point mostly upwards to outwards
    Stem internode hair type
    • at least some of the hairs on the stem are tangled, matted or woolly
    • the stem has no hairs between the nodes
    Stem internode hairs
    • the stem has hairs between the nodes
    • the stem has no hairs between the nodes

Wetland status

Not classified

In New England

Distribution

Connecticut
present
Maine
absent
Massachusetts
present
New Hampshire
present
Rhode Island
present
Vermont
absent

Conservation status

Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.

Massachusetts
extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
New Hampshire
historical (S-rank: SH), endangered (code: E)
Rhode Island
concern (code: C)

From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key

5.  Nabalus serpentarius (Pursh) Hook. NC

lion’s-foot rattlesnake-root. Prenanthes serpentaria Pursh; P. serpentaria Pursh forma simplicifolia Fern. • CT, MA, NH, RI. Woodlands, rocky slopes, cliffs, roadsides, powerline rights-of-way, sandplains, clearings.

Native to North America?

Yes

Sometimes confused with

Nabalus racemosus:
lower leaf blades simple, broad-oblanceolate to obovate, the middle and upper blades clasping, and capitulescence tall and narrow, raceme-like (vs. N. serpentarius, with lower leaf blades pinnately or palmately lobed or simple and then ovate to elliptic, the middle and upper blades short-petioled or sessile, but not clasping, and capitulescence broader, corymb- or panicle-like).
Nabalus trifoliolatus:
involcural bracts glabrous, axis of capitulescence glabrous, and lobed leaves usually with angled sinuses and pointed lobes (vs. N. serpentarius, with involucral bracts sparsely pubescent, axis of capitulescence tomentulose, and lobed leaves usually with rounded sinuses and +/- blunt lobes).

Synonyms

  • Prenanthes serpentaria Pursh
  • Prenanthes serpentaria Pursh forma simplicifolia Fern.

Family

Asteraceae

Genus

Nabalus