Angiosperms: Dicotyledons

Asteraceae
Daisy Family

• Stem: perennial; 3’ to 4’ tall; hairy; often several stems from a single root crown.
• Leaves: alternate, oval, with tapering bases and pointed tips; 2” by 3/8”, plants in northwest Iowa have smaller leaves, 3/4” by 3/32”; hairy above and below.
• Inflorescence: single heads at the tips of leafy stems.
• Heads: yellow rays and disk flowers; head about 1” across; flowering over a long period from late June to late August.
• Fruits: “seeds” (fruits) 3/16” long with 1/4” plumes; fruiting begins after mid-July.
• Habitat: very infrequent with a very restricted range in Iowa; on rocky and sandy prairies.
• Notes: Heterotheca villosa is highly variable with several varieties described. See Gleason and Cronquist (1991) for details.
• Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
• Vascular Plants of Iowa