2. Polymnia laevigata Beadle

Pl. 286 g, h; Map 1213

Plants usually somewhat aromatic when crushed or bruised. Stems 50–200 cm long, glabrous or sparsely to moderately pubescent with inconspicuous, loosely appressed, sometimes somewhat sticky hairs toward the tip. Leaves short-petiolate, lacking appendages at the petiole base, these wrapping around the stem, the appendages of the adjacent leaves at a given node sometimes more or less fused into a short cup around the stem. Leaf blades 3–40 cm long, broadly rounded to shallowly cordate but most commonly more or less truncate at the base, mostly with 5–11 deep, pinnate lobes (the smaller, upper leaves sometimes unlobed or shallowly 3-lobed), the lobes tapered to a sharply pointed tip, the margins otherwise finely to coarsely toothed, the surfaces glabrous or sparsely to moderately pubescent with minute, sometimes somewhat sticky hairs along the veins. Involucre 3–4 mm long, 3–6 mm in diameter, the bracts glabrous or minutely hairy on the outer surface toward the base, minutely hairy along the margins. Outer series of 3–5 involucral bracts somewhat shorter and narrower than the others, lanceolate to narrowly oblong, the inner series ovate to broadly ovate. Ray florets 4–6, the corolla with a short, broad ligule 2.5–3.5 mm long. Disc florets 12–18, the corolla 2–3 mm long. Fruits with 4–6 angles or ribs, dark brown. 2n=30. July–October.

Uncommon, known only from a single collection from Pemiscot County (Missouri to Kentucky south to Florida). Bottomland forests.

This species appears to be relatively infrequently encountered throughout most of its range. In Missouri, searches have failed to relocate the plant in the vicinity of Steyermark’s original 1953 collection site near Portageville.