Pityopsis aspera, commonly known as pineland silkgrass or grass-leaved goldenaster, is a member of the Aster family endemic to the southeastern region of the United States. There exist multiple varieties, including: P. aspera var. adenolepsis, P. aspera var. aspera, and Heterotheca adenolepsis.
Description Pityopsis aspera ranges in height between , and commonly possesses a singular erect stem. Leaves are linear-oblanceolate and range in length between .
When in bloom, from August through October, the flowers produced possess 6 to 10 yellow petals.
Distribution and habitat Within the United States, P. aspera native range stretches from Virginia to Florida and as far west as Mississippi.
Pityopsis aspera can be found in habitats such as dry woodlands, forests, longleaf pine sandhills, and disturbed environments.
Ecology Pityopsis aspera is insect pollinated and is recorded to have been visited in northern Florida by Agapostemon splendens, Augochlorella aurata, Augochloropsis sumptuosa, Ceratina, Coelioxys mexicanus, Halictus poeyi/ligatus, Heriades variolosa/leavitti, Lasioglossum apopkense, Lasioglossum illinoense, Lasioglossum longifrons, Lasioglossum reticulatum, Lasioglossum weemsi/leviense, Megachile mendica, Megachile petulans, Megachile pseudobrevis, Megachile texana, Melissodes boltoniae, Melissodes dentiventris, Paranthidium jugatorium, Perdita bishoppi, and Pseudopanurgus labrosiformis.Ulyshen, M. D., K. Robertson, S. Horn, and C. Dixon. 2024. Characterization of the bee community and pollination network in a southeastern U.S. pine savanna. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 12:1403602.
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