Leucospora multifida (Michx.) Nutt.

Common Name and General Size

Leucospora multifida, commonly called Obi-wan conobea, is a small plant that grows to roughly 20 cm (8 inches) in height.

Foliage Characteristics

Its foliage is covered in glandular hairs.

Leaf Structure and Arrangement

Its deeply dissected leaves can grow in alternate arrangements, opposite pairs, or whorled clusters.

Flower Placement

Flowers grow from leaf axils, each carried on a stalk called a pedicel.

Flower Appearance

Individual flowers are pale lavender, tubular in shape, around 6 mm (1/4 inch) long, and have 5 lobes.

Flowering Period

This species flowers from mid-summer through fall.

Core Native Range

The core of its native range lies in the midwestern United States, covering most of Illinois and Missouri.

Extended Range and Adventive Populations

Its native range extends west to Nebraska, south to Texas, and east to Ohio; scattered populations also occur beyond this core area, where the species may be adventive.

Wetland Classification

Across its entire range, Leucospora multifida is classified as either a facultative wetland or obligate wetland plant.

Habitat and Substrate

It grows on sandy, gravelly, and marly soils, most often in ditches, swales, and along the receding shorelines of rivers and streams.