Angiosperms: Dicotyledons

Asteraceae
Daisy Family

• Stem: perennial; 3’ to 5’ tall; unbranched; hairy.
• Leaves: alternate; usually deeply three-lobed, the two lateral lobes smaller; 3” by 2” with 1/2” leaf stalks; toothed margin, especially the center lobe; stiff-hairy above and below.
• Inflorescence: corymbiform with single heads at the ends of branches from the upper leaf axils.
• Heads: few yellow rays, widely spreading; brown disk flowers forming a rounded head; bract around each disk flower hairy near the tip; fillaries overlapping, lance-shaped, hairy, 1/4” long; flowering from late July to early September.
• Fruits: “seeds” (fruits) 3/32” long, black; fruiting begins in early August.
• Habitat: infrequent on moist prairies to woodland edges.
• Notes: Several other species of Rudbeckia resemble R. subtomentosa. The best characteristic to distinguish fragrant coneflower is the hairy bract around each disk flower. Other Rudbeckia species (except R. hirta) are more often found in shady places and have leaves more consistently divided.
• Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
• Vascular Plants of Iowa