Asteraceae
Daisy Family
Echinacea pallida Nutt.
- Stem: perennial; basal leaves with a 2’ to 3’ flower stalk; few, long hairs.
- Leaves: mostly basal; elongate-oval, blades 7” by 3/4” with leaf stalks from 6” for basal leaves to 3/4” for stem leaves; parallel veins in the blades; bulb-based hairs above and below.
- Inflorescence: single head at the top of a stalk having stiff hairs and few, small leaves.
- Heads: purple, drooping rays, 1 1/2” long; dark purple disk flowers on a conical base, the disk about 1” tall and 1” in diameter; flowering from mid-June to mid-July; rays often persist until August.
- Fruits: “seeds” (fruits) about 1/8” long, squarish and pointed at one end; no plume; fruiting begins in late June; often fruits persist in the head through the winter.
- Habitat: infrequent on dry to mesic prairies; sometimes on little-disturbed roadsides and in open places.
- Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
- Vascular Plants of Iowa
