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Stokesia is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the daisy family, Asteraceae, containing the single species Stokesia laevis. Common names include Stokes' aster and stokesia.[3][1] The species is native to the southeastern United States.

The flowers appear in the summer and are purple, blue, or white in nature.[2] The plant is cultivated as a garden flower. Several cultivars are available, including the cornflower blue 'Klaus Jelitto', 'Colorwheel', which is white, turning purple over time, and 'Blue Danube', which has a blue flower head with a white center.[4] More unusual cultivars include the pink-flowered 'Rosea' and yellow-flowered 'Mary Gregory'.[5]

Like a few other plants (such as some species of Vernonia), it contains vernolic acid, a vegetable oil with commercial applications.[6]

The genus is named after Jonathan Stokes (1755–1831), English botanist and physician.[2]

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