Nabalus barbatus

Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

The name of this species does not match your search because Nabalus barbatus is indicated as the accepted name for Prenanthes barbata.

Family:	ASTERACEAE
Species:	Nabalus barbatus (Torr. & A. Gray) A. Heller
Common Name:	Barbed Rattlesnake Root; Flatwoods Rattlesnake Root
Habitat:	**
Associated Ecological Communities:	**
Growth Habit:	Herb
Duration:	Perennial
Category:	Vascular
USDA Symbol:	**
Plant Notes:	Barbed Rattlesnake Root is a native herbaceous perennial in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). It can be found in central and northeastern Alabama. It occurs in rich hardwood forests, in prairies, around calcareous glades, and on roadside banks. It is a perennial with a thick, knotty, tuberous taproot. The stems are erect, unbranched below the inflorescences, green or purplish in color, and glabrous towards the base and finely pubescent towards the apex. Basal leaves are often absent at flowering. They are petiolate, elliptic in outline, thick, with irregularly toothed margins. The leaves are glabrous or with scattered stiff hairs. Stem leaves are alternate, sessile (sometimes clasping), and otherwise similar to the basal leaves but smaller in size. Flowers are produced in heads. The heads are arranged in terminal panicles. Each head has 7-11 short triangular basal bracts that are purple or green in color (the calyculi-- a group of small bracts that resembles a calyx), and 6-8 long, purple or green, linear bracts (the phyllaries). The calyculi and phyllaries are both coarsely setose with long, white hairs. Each head has 10-15 white or pale-yellow ray flowers. The fruit is an achene with yellowish-white pappus. Barbed Rattlesnake Root is listed as an S1S2 species in Alabama (S1 - Typically 5 or fewer occurrences, very few remaining individuals, or some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable in the state; S2 - Typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state), and globally as a G3 species (Imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors).—A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:	**
Status:	Native, S1S2 (State Rank), G3 (Global Rank)
References:	**
Specimen:	View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

Family	ASTERACEAE - Aster family
Genus	Nabalus
Species	Nabalus barbatus (Torr. & A. Gray) A. Heller - Barbed Rattlesnake Root; Flatwoods Rattlesnake Root

Citation

Citation	Nabalus barbatus (Torrey & A.Gray) A. Heller, Muhlenbergia 1: 8. 1900.
Basionym:	Nabalus fraseri var. barbatus Torr. & A. Gray 1843.
Type:	**

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

Synonym	Full Citation	Basionym	Type
Nabalus serpentarius var. barbatus
Prenanthes barbata	Prenanthes barbata ( Torr. & A.Gray ) Milstead ex Cronquist, Brittonia 29(2): 223. 1977.
Prenanthes serpentaria var. barbata

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Cherokee, Clarke, Colbert, Dallas, Etowah, Franklin, Greene, Lowndes, Madison, Marengo, Marshall, Montgomery, Morgan, St. Clair, Tuscaloosa

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AMAL, AUA, BRIT, JSU, TROY, UNA, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1950 - 1969

Barcode / Accession No.	County	Coll. Date	Collector & Collection No.	Herbarium & Herbarium Name Used
JSU139774	Cherokee	22 Sep 1996	Spaulding, Daniel D. 9272	JSU Nabalus barbatus (Torrey & Gray) A. Heller
BRIT93325	Colbert	08 Oct 1971	Kral, Robert 45013	BRIT Prenanthes barbata (Torr. & Gray) Milstead
BRIT93328	Cherokee	09 Oct 1969	Kral, Robert 37790	BRIT Prenanthes barbata (Torr. & Gray) Milstead
BRIT93324	Colbert	14 Sep 1971	Kral, Robert 44008	BRIT Prenanthes barbata (Torr. & Gray) Milstead
UWAL0038375	Clarke	06 Oct 2018	Boone, Meaghan C. 132	UWAL Nabalus barbatus (Torrey & A. Gray) A. Heller
UNA00048464	Etowah	09 Oct 1969	Kral, Robert 37700	UNA Prenanthes barbata (Torr. & Gray) Milstead
BRIT93332	Cherokee	08 Oct 1989	Kral, Robert 77210	BRIT Prenanthes barbata (Torr. & Gray) Milstead
BRIT93329	Cherokee	09 Oct 1969	Kral, Robert 37790	BRIT Prenanthes barbata (Torr. & Gray) Milstead
TROY000002639	Clarke	09 Oct 2006	Diamond, Alvin R. 17054	TROY Prenanthes barbata (Torrey & A. Gray) Milstead
TROY000050434	Marengo	30 Sep 2018	Keener, Brian R. 10889	TROY Nabalus barbatus (Torrey & A. Gray) A. Heller
ALNHS00005152	Greene	21 SEP 2017	Barger, T. Wayne SP#3391	ALNHS Nabalus barbatus (Torr. & Gray) Heller
AUA000025990	Dallas	10 Oct 2008	SCHOTZ, ALFRED 2119	AUA NABALUS BARBATUS (TORR. & GRAY) HELLER
UWAL0012091	Dallas	15 Jun 2012	Keener, Brian R. 7313	UWAL Nabalus barbatus (Torr. & Gray) Heller
BRIT93321	Etowah	09 Oct 1969	Kral, Robert 37700	BRIT Prenanthes barbata (Torr. & Gray) Milstead
BRIT93331	Cherokee	09 Oct 1969	Kral, Robert 37790	BRIT Prenanthes barbata (Torr. & Gray) Milstead
TROY000040981	Lowndes	07 Oct 2013	Webb, Wayne K. s.n.	TROY Nabalus barbatus (Torrey & A. Gray) A. Heller
AUA000006539	Etowah	9 Oct 1969	KRAL, ROBERT 37700	AUA NABALUS BARBATUS (TORR. & GRAY) HELLER
ALNHS00008670	Cherokee	15 Oct 1999	Schotz, Alfred R. ARS#1758	ALNHS Nabalus barbatus (Torr. & Gray) A. Heller
JSU117886	Etowah	19 Oct 1994	Hodge, Lesley M. 4023	JSU Nabalus barbatus (Torrey & Gray) A. Heller
UWAL0016791	Lowndes	07 Oct 2013	Webb, Wayne K. s.n.	UWAL Nabalus barbatus (Torr. & Gray) Heller
BRIT93334	Cherokee	09 Oct 1969	Kral, Robert 37790	BRIT Prenanthes barbata (Torr. & Gray) Milstead
BRIT93319	Franklin	14 Sep 1971	Kral, Robert 43996	BRIT Prenanthes barbata (Torr. & Gray) Milstead
TROY000051614	Montgomery	25 Sep 2020	Birkhead, Roger s.n.	TROY Nabalus barbatus (Torrey & A. Gray) A. Heller
UNA00048374	Etowah	09 Oct 1969	Kral, Robert 37700	UNA Prenanthes barbata (Torr. & Gray) Milstead
JSU139773	Etowah	25 Sep 1994	Spaulding, Daniel D. 7654	JSU Nabalus barbatus (Torrey & Gray) A. Heller
BRIT93320	Etowah	09 Oct 1969	Kral, Robert 37700	BRIT Prenanthes barbata (Torr. & Gray) Milstead
BRIT93330	Cherokee	09 Oct 1969	Kral, Robert 37790	BRIT Prenanthes barbata (Torr. & Gray) Milstead
TROY000042352	Lowndes	17 Oct 2014	Diamond, Alvin R. 25620	TROY Nabalus barbatus (Torrey & A. Gray) A. Heller
AUA000006540	Marshall	1 Oct 1971	KRAL, ROBERT 44670	AUA NABALUS BARBATUS (TORR. & GRAY) HELLER
UWAL0052306	St. Clair	15 Oct 2018	Keener, Brian R. 10918	UWAL Nabalus barbatus (Torr. & A. Gray) A. Heller
AMAL00014441	Clarke	01 Oct 2006	Diamond, Alvin R. 16981	AMAL Nabalus barbatus (Torr. & Gray) Heller
UNA00048954	Tuscaloosa	08 Oct 1950	Williams, B.C. s.n.	UNA Prenanthes barbata (Torr. & Gray) Milstead
BRIT93327	Cherokee	09 Oct 1969	Kral, Robert 37790	BRIT Prenanthes barbata (Torr. & Gray) Milstead
BRIT93323	Colbert	14 Sep 1971	Kral, Robert 44008	BRIT Prenanthes barbata (Torr. & Gray) Milstead
AUA000042901	Montgomery	15 Sep 2020	BIRKHEAD, ROGER	AUA NABALUS BARBATUS (TORR. & GRAY) HELLER
UWAL0015367	Lowndes	22 Sep 2014	Webb, Wayne K. s.n.	UWAL Nabalus barbatus (Torr. & Gray) Heller
UWAL0017623	Lowndes	17 Oct 2014	Diamond, Alvin R. 25620	UWAL Nabalus barbatus (Torrey & A. Gray) A. Heller
BRIT93333	Cherokee	09 Oct 1969	Kral, Robert 37790	BRIT Prenanthes barbata (Torr. & Gray) Milstead
BRIT93318	Franklin	14 Sep 1971	Kral, Robert 43996	BRIT Prenanthes barbata (Torr. & Gray) Milstead
TROY000041794	Lowndes	22 Sep 2014	Webb, Wayne K. s.n.	TROY Nabalus barbatus (Torrey & A. Gray) A. Heller
AUA000006538	Cherokee	9 Oct 1969	KRAL, ROBERT 37790	AUA NABALUS BARBATUS (TORR. & GRAY) HELLER
AUA000006541	St. Clair	1 Oct 1971	KRAL, ROBERT 44623	AUA NABALUS BARBATUS (TORR. & GRAY) HELLER
AMAL00003265	Madison	22 Sep 1997	Threlkeld, S.J. 1196	AMAL Nabalus barbatus (Torr. & Gray) Heller
UWAL0053260	Morgan	08 Oct 2020	Thompson, Joey 1251	UWAL Nabalus barbatus (Torr. & A. Gray) A. Heller
UWAL0047393	Marengo	20 Sep 2018	Keener, Brian R. 10889	UWAL Nabalus barbatus (Torr. & A. Gray) A. Heller
BRIT93326	Cherokee	09 Oct 1969	Kral, Robert 37790	BRIT Prenanthes barbata (Torr. & Gray) Milstead
BRIT93322	Colbert	14 Sep 1971	Kral, Robert 44008	BRIT Prenanthes barbata (Torr. & Gray) Milstead

View a List of All Ecological Communities

For more information, contact: Brian R. Keener, Ph.D.

Data last modified: 6/29/2025

Web Development: The Florida Center for Community Design + Research

A member of the University of South Florida family of PlantAtlas.org sites

Citation Information:

Keener, B.R., A.R. Diamond, T.W. Barger, L.J. Davenport, P.G. Davison, S.L. Ginzbarg, C.J. Hansen, D.D. Spaulding, J.K. Triplett, and M. Woods. 2025. Alabama Plant Atlas. [S.M. Landry and K.N. Campbell (original application development), Florida Center for Community Design and Research. University of South Florida]. University of West Alabama, Livingston, Alabama.

Data, text, and images licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Nabalus barbatus

Related Links

Classification

Citation

Synonyms

Specimens and Distribution