Trying to help my neighbor id this plant. For me theres not alot to go by to help id it, but thought someone here might recognize it. Leaves are 8 to 10 inches long and about 1 inch wide and smooth. Located in salina kansas zone 6a. Hopefully the pics can help

Liatris maybe?

It could be Liatris Lauri! This has been bugging me.

Look at the leaf description and photo of Liatris spicata ..

"The leaves are linear in shape and their margins are smooth (entire). Each leaf has a distinct central vein. Both the upper and lower leaf surfaces are light to medium green and glabrous to sparsely hairy."

http://pacificbulbsociety.org/...

I'm leaning towards Stokesia

First off, thanks for the help. Based on the pictures ive looked at im leaning towards Stokesia as jvdubb suggested. The way liatris grows doesnt seem to match. When i get home from work and ask my neighbor if either of these sound familiar. He planted them years ago and cant remember. So maybe the names will spark a memory. Hes an elderly gentlemen and im helping him maintain and identify his garden plants. Thanks again for the help. I will let you all know what he says

If you are still looking for a match - try mexican shell flower/Tiger Flower

The foliage on Tiger Flower is ribbed and goes up the flower stem, it's a bulb. I grew trays of them years ago from seed I got off some I grew but they don't live for long here.

After visiting with my neighbor he said none sound familiar. But i believe stokesia is most likely what it is. It did not flower last year but maybe will this year. I will repost if i find anything new. Thanks again for all the ideas and help