Wisconsin's rare plants

Rough buttonweed is an erect forb, 20-80cm tall, with prostrate, spreading or ascending, pubescent stems and setaceous stipules that are ascending or erect. Its flowers are sessile in many of the upper axils. It has 4 lanceolate sepals and funnel-form white to pink or pale purple corolla. Its fruit are obovoid, finely pubescent or short-hirsute, crowned by the persistent sepals, and much surpassed by the long (6-10mm) stipules. Leaves are stiff, sessile, linear to narrowly lanceolate, scabrous, aristate at apex, and rounded or narrowed at base.

Blooming occurs early-July through early-September, fruiting early-August through late-October.

Annual. The optimal identification period for this species is late-June through October.

Associated species include Aristida tuberculosa, Polygonella articulata, Hypericum gentianoides, Strophostyles helveola, Cassia fasciculata, Sporobolus heterolepis, and Polygonum tenue.

Rough buttonweed is found on sandy terraces along the Wisconsin River.

Avoid broadcast spraying of herbicides and use care with spot spraying.

Avoid locating landings, staging areas, or access routes in open sandy areas dominated by native grasses.

Because this plant is an annual, work may safely be conducted before the plants emerge or after they have developed mature seeds.

Prescribed burns and/or brushing may be beneficial, dependent on local site conditions and burn frequency. Rotational burns with annual unburned refugia may be preferred.

Maintain and restore open habitat through selective clearing and brushing.

Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) are associated with habitats (or natural communities) and places on the landscape. Understanding relationships among SGCN, natural communities and ecological landscapes help us make decisions about issues affecting SGCN and their habitat and how to respond. Download the Wildlife Action Plan association score spreadsheet to explore rare species, natural communities and ecological landscape associations

Conservation actions respond to issues or threats, which adversely affect species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) or their habitats. Besides actions such as restoring wetlands or planting resilient tree species in northern communities, research, surveys and monitoring are also among conservation actions described in the Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan because lack of information can threaten our ability to successfully preserve and care for natural resources.