Saussurea americana is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae in the genus Saussurea known by the common name American saw-wort. It is native to northwestern North America from Alaska to far northern California to Montana, where it grows in mountain habitat, such as meadows and forests.
| Saussurea americana | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Saussurea |
| Species: | S. americana
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| Binomial name | |
| Saussurea americana | |
Appearance
editIt is a perennial herb producing one or more hairy, glandular, erect stems up to a meter tall or more from a thick caudex. The lance-shaped leaves are up to 15 centimeters long and have toothed edges, especially the larger lower leaves. The inflorescence is a cluster of several flower heads, each a bullet-shaped body covered in purple or purple-tinged green phyllaries. The head opens at the tip to bloom with several white to purple tubular disc florets; there are no ray florets. The fruit is an achene tipped with a pappus, the whole unit sometimes exceeding a centimeter in length.
External links
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Media related to Saussurea americana at Wikimedia Commons- Jepson Manual Treatment
- USDA Plants Profile
- Flora of North America
- Washington Burke Museum
- Saussurea americana in the CalPhotos photo database, University of California, Berkeley
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