Liatris (), commonly known as gayfeather and blazing star. is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Eupatorieae within the family Asteraceae native to North America (Canada, United States, Mexico and the Bahamas). Some species are used as ornamental plants, sometimes in flower bouquets. They are perennials, surviving the winter in the form of corms. Liatris species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the flower moths Schinia gloriosa and Schinia sanguinea, both of which feed exclusively on the genus, and Schinia tertia and Schinia trifascia. Classification Liatris is in the tribe Eupatorieae of the aster family. Like other members of this tribe, the flower heads have disc florets and no ray florets. Liatris is in the subtribe Liatrinae along with Trilisa, Carphephorus, and other genera. Liatris is closely related to Garberia, a genus with only one species endemic to Florida. The two genera can be distinguished by the shrub form of the latter and by karyotype. Species Species in the genus include: Liatris acidota – sharp blazing star, Gulf Coast blazing star - TX LA Liatris aestivalis – summer blazing star - TX OK Liatris aspera – tall blazing star - ONT, United States (Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes, scattered locales in East) Liatris borealis - Allegheny Mountains of PA Liatris × boykinii - GA AL Liatris bracteata – bracted blazing star - TX Liatris chapmanii – Chapman's blazing star - FL GA AL Liatris cokeri – Coker's blazing star - NC SC Liatris compacta – scaly blazing star - AR OK Liatris creditonensis - ONT Liatris cylindracea – Ontario blazing star, fewhead blazing star - ONT, central + southeastern United States Liatris cymosa – branched blazing star - TX Liatris × deamii Liatris densispicata - MN Liatris elegans – pinkscale blazing star, elegant blazing star - TX OK AR LA MS AL FL GA SC Liatris elegantula – shaggy blazing star - TN MS AL GA FL Liatris fallacior - ND Liatris × frostii - MN MO Liatris garberi – Garber's blazing star - FL Bahamas Liatris gholsonii – Gholson's blazing star - FL Liatris × gladewitzii - ONT, MI WI IL Liatris glandulosa – glandular blazing star - TX Liatris gracilis – slender blazing star - MS AL GA FL SC Liatris helleri – Heller's blazing star, turgid blazing star - MD WV VA NC Liatris hirsuta – hairy blazing star