There are a few Joe-Pye species and the E. dubium ID was made on the basis of the domed flower head...
... the purple stem with spots (not easy to see here), and the three main veins in each leaf.
From How To Know The Wildflowers:
"The summer is nearly over when the tall, conspicuous Joe- Pye-weeds begin to tinge with "crushed raspberry" the lowlands through which we pass. In parts of the country it is nearly as common as the golden-rods and asters which appear at about the same season. With the deep purple of the iron-weed it gives variety to the intense hues which herald the coming of autumn.
Joe Pye is said to have been the name of an Indian who cured typhus fever in New England by means of this plant."
Parsons, Frances Theodora. How To Know The Wildflowers. New York, 1898. 270. Web. Google Web Search. 13 Sep 2009.
I have this exact quote written in one of my journals from a few years ago; F.T. Parson's book is one of my treasures ( I found mine at an antiques market many years ago- my edition yielded a surprise when I got it home; someone had pressed little wildflower specimens within a few of its pages!). I love her description of the color as "crushed raspberry" and the term comes to mind each and every late summer season whenever I see joe-pye weed.
ReplyDelete~gretchen
I am so thankful for Google Books. I have downloaded a good many of these books but heaven knows when I will get to read them. Besides, I sometimes prefer a real book rather than my Kindle or an on screen pdf.
ReplyDeleteCan't press flowers in a Kindle! :-)